Requires compliance with South African teacher education qualifications Minimum requirements for teacher education qualification. But evidence points to gaps in teacher capacity and the quality of education. Many students who enroll to teach at South African universities lower grade 12 results Compared to those studying other degrees. This means that universities need to provide support and a good foundation to develop as teachers.
Book by Zaid Waghid and Johanna William preparation to teach It is based on research into the beliefs, motivations and professional identities of pre-service teachers between 2015 and 2018, and offers some ideas (which Professor Waghid outlines here) about improving teacher training. Their study involved 324 student teachers from two historically disadvantaged universities in South Africa – 212 in the first year and 112 in the fourth year. This research remains relevant today as it highlights the formation and development of student teachers' beliefs, motivations, and professional identity over time.
What have you identified as problems?
First, there is a persistent gap between the theoretical knowledge taught in universities and its practical application in schools. Teacher education courses generally focus on what to teach, how to teach (including using basic equipment), learning through teaching practice and becoming aware of the conditions in schools. However, many student teachers still feel unprepared to deal with classroom realities and the broader social conditions that shape teaching. This isolation can disempower them in schools.
One of the student teachers we interviewed said that although modern teaching approaches were taught at university, they were not always accepted in some government schools.
Second, there are the challenges of language and multilingualism in diverse classroom contexts. language in education policy Promotes multilingualism and affirms the rights of learners to receive education through the official languages in South Africa. But teacher education programs have been criticized To inadequately prepare student teachers to develop reading abilities in students' home languages. And Research This shows that African children suffer the most when they do not have a strong foundation in their mother tongue and are taught in a second language.
Third, the power imbalance between universities and schools means that teacher education curricula are designed without consulting current teachers in schools. This has some implications for the way schools prepare future teachers. The book argues that this model works against genuine, mutual co-construction of knowledge.
Fourth, heavy workloads, large classes, learner discipline, weak parent support, and limited school resources can undermine motivation and confidence among student teachers. By the fourth year, the majority of student teachers in the study considered teaching stressful: 76% at one university and 85% at another agreed or strongly agreed.
Why do these issues matter?
These shortcomings and challenges can be expected to have an impact on the quality of primary education, which is important for both personal and social development.
Addressing these issues is critical to enabling an education system shaped by historical inequity to prepare, support, and retain more equitable, high-quality teachers.
The number of graduates studying teaching increased by more 200% Over the ten years between 2011/12 and 2020/21.
How do you fix them?
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Teacher education should not focus only on delivering content. It should also help future teachers connect what they learned at university to the real challenges they face in classrooms.
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Teacher education programs should better prepare teachers for multilingual classrooms. This means moving away from the idea that teaching happens only in one language. This means promoting learners' different languages as a resource for inclusion and learning, even if this may cause some discomfort. Although one cannot be an expert in more than one language, technology helps here.
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Universities, schools and communities should work together as an ecosystem in designing teacher education curricula. This will help ensure that teacher training responds to the real social, political and economic conditions of the communities that schools serve. This has been done before, for example a Study It consists of one university and three schools in New Zealand. In practice, this means that teacher trainers and school staff co-teach in schools, and share practices and resources with the idea of making university content more practical and relevant.
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The book argues that sweeping changes are needed to restore the dignity of the teaching profession. This means improving teacher pay, providing better resources to schools, and reducing heavy workloads. In its 2026 national budget, the South African government allocated R358.556 billion (over US$21 billion) for public schooling, teacher salaries, school operations, nutrition, infrastructure and early childhood development. Education received the largest share of the budget for expenditure (23%). However, the question remains whether existing resources are used effectively to support teachers in difficult classroom contexts.
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Teacher education improves when institutions care about the well-being and confidence of student teachers. Student teachers need to feel safe, supported and able to cope emotionally during their training. In practice, this means establishing a community of practice to build caring relationships. This can be done by recognizing their struggles, creating a sense of belonging and using innovative ways to engage them while building their confidence.
In the full-time Bachelor of Education program in South Africa, student teachers will spend a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 32 weeks in teaching practice in schools. We found in the study that a student teacher's positive experience during a teaching practicum helped her “fall in love” with teaching and strengthened her feeling that she was ready to become a teacher. Teaching practice was a turning point in forming her identity as a teacher – which is a useful insight.
Mentorship is important in helping student teachers build confidence and commitment during teaching practice. This is why regular feedback between universities and in-service teachers as mentors during and after the teaching practicum is important to further strengthen student teachers' experiences.
Zaid Waghid is the DSTI/NRF SARCH Chair in Transformative Learning, Social Justice and Innovation: in the Faculty of Education at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
By Zaid Waghid, Associate Professor, Cape Peninsula University of Technology