The PGCE South Africa Project
PGCE Graduate Opportunities
Since 2004, PGCE graduates from the University of Nottingham School of Education have been travelling to Mamelodi, South Africa, to participate in school development projects. Their experiences have been moving and enriching.
It is hard to describe in words how I have developed. I feel humbled by the experience, touched to have been able to take part and spend time with the children, people and teachers, and also rather selfish for not appreciating what we have in England and being grateful for it every morning.
Nicola Hickton, PGCE English graduate
About Mamelodi
Mamelodi is situated on the north eastern outskirts of Pretoria and is a former black township with a population of about one million people. Many people in this area live in small brick built houses, but there are also huge informal settlements or squatter camps where people, many of whom are refugees from neighbouring Zimbabwe, have built their own shacks made out of corrugated iron or plastic sheets. Apartheid was responsible for leaving the townships with a legacy of deficient education, extreme poverty, high unemployment and a whole range of socio-economic problems which will take many years to eradicate.
Firsthand experience of a poverty stricken, historically racist country provided me with an opportunity to discuss and debate complex and emotional issues with a variety of people with a variety of beliefs.
Gemma Flint, PGCE Maths graduate
Mamelodi Project activities
Over fourteen days PGCE graduates work in both a primary and secondary Mamelodi township schools and take part in a number of different activities including:
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Bi –lingual team teaching with South African teachers
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Creating resources to support the teaching of numeracy and literacy
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Modelling the use of praise and rewards for behaviour for learning
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Story telling / re-telling stories
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Personal, social and health education lessons
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Modelling effective questioning techniques
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Discussions with South African teachers of different teaching techniques and pedagogies
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Organizing football matches and games for pupils during breaks and lunch times
Graduates also have the opportunity when not at work, to undertake a number of activities to discover, explore and interact with the local and wider community: a trip to Pilanesberg Game Park; swimming in the local pool; shopping in local markets; tasting the local food.
As a geography teacher I will be able to give a better perspective when discussing issues similar to those we encountered in South Africa. I’m also going to remember to keep a smile on my face at all times as is so common in all South African schools I visited.
Tom Heaney, PGCE Geography graduate
University of Nottingham - NUSA Collaboration 2010
University of Nottingham NUSA Collboration 2010
Through this work links between the academy and the Mamelodi Schools were established and the NUSA teaching staff assisted the PGCE students in developing lesson plans and teaching resources for use in the Mamelodi Schools. A head-teacher from Mamelodi was also been funded to visit the UK and work on the NUSA transition with the PGCE students
Download the South Africa 2009/10 Development Fund Report (PDF).
Want to get involved?
Contact us
If you are a University of Nottingham PGCE or GTP student and are interested in getting involved in the Mamelodi Project, please contact: