Edu State is a SABC Digital News feature that focuses on the state of education in South Africa. In this episode, Witbank High School Grade 12 teacher Anna Chiraso Moyane shares her journey.
It is frequently referred to as the mother of all professions and while for some people it is a career choice, for Moyane it was an unexpected path. Moyane was plagued by a dream in which she was constantly surrounded by children after earning a Degree in Psychology and an Honours Degree in Politics and International Affairs. Despite not understanding the idea, she accepted a request to address learners at her former high school, and the rest is history.
“You know, I never wanted to be a teacher, to be honest with you and I am really honoured to have done psychology because if I didn’t do psychology, I don’t think I would be the teacher that I am today, especially in understanding the children. So, when I was doing my honours in politics I realised that I wanted to do more and it was leading me toward children but I didn’t understand exactly that I was meant to be in the field of education and when I gave it a try, it felt at ease and felt as if, this is it. And that is when the psychology moved in well with the teaching.”
She furthered her studies through a Post Graduate Degree in Education and started teaching in 2016. While she was easing into her role as an English teacher, she became concerned about the stigma attached to young teachers, and the criticism that some are not invested in their work. Moyane created “Teacher by Purpose”, a platform to motivate young teachers and dispel misconceptions about teaching.
“Around there was a stigma that young teachers are just not doing anything. I just went home one day and thought that I need to create a platform, because I am not that teacher, I am a young person but I am not the teacher that they are talking about. I thought of this vision: how about I create a platform where I can share my teaching experience, indirectly motivating old teachers and young teachers because we still have old teachers who are not fully involved with the teaching. I thought I need to create teacher by purpose and that is how it came about, with a vision to try and draw as many teachers as I can through my work.”
Moyane is a teacher at a time when the country is grappling with violence in schools. In June, Rutanang Primary School teacher in Rustenburg was shot dead while sitting in her car outside the school gate. Deputy Principal at Realogile High School, in Alexandra, was recently stabbed by a learner and a teacher at a school in Mtunzini, KwaZulu-Natal is recovering in hospital after being shot several times while driving.
Bullying is another manifestation of violence in schools.
“The challenge is indeed bullying, but it is not only bullying that we need to look at, the outcome of bullying but the causal factors of bullying. I have realised as a teacher that most learners have absent parents or guardians. The reason I am saying that is because when you start speaking to the child you get a different perception of who the child is, the child is actually not a stabber, the child is a kind, sweet boy or girl, but the child was never told or taught at home that,’ boy if something happens at school, report about it.’ Randomly I believe that a parent can just say; ‘if someone were to swear at you, don’t swear back. If someone were to beat you, don’t beat them back, report that person.’ So, children in a way are taught self defence.”
Below is the full interview with Anna Chiraso Moyane:
