Three teachers out of 15 from the Free State who were finalists for this year’s National Teaching Awards (NTAs) raised the province’s flag high as they scooped coveted accolades at a ceremony held in the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Gauteng.
Held on 5 October, the event tied in with World Teachers’ Day, commemorated to honour teachers’ contribution in upholding this noble profession.
This year’s theme for the NTA is: “Empowering Educators, Strengthening Resilience, Building Sustainability.”
The three achievers were among the provincial winners who qualified for the 24th national round of the NTA.
Tiisetso Chaka of the Thiboloha Special School in Qwaqwa was the shining star for the Free State, attaining first position in the Excellence in Special Needs Teaching category – which validated his ability when teaching learners with disabilities such as deafness and blindness.
Majobo Dikgang and Bongiwe Cele attained a second place in the Excellence in Grade R Teaching and third place in Excellence in Secondary School Teaching categories, respectively.
Dikgang works at the Phomolong Public School in Kroonstad, while Cele works at the Tiisetsang Secondary School in Bethlehem.
Last year the province had four winners nationally.
The Free State recipients of first-place prizes is 2023 were: Chezel Classens, overall winner in the Grade R Teaching category, and Johanne Petro Marais, winner of the Excellence in Teaching Mathematics (GET) category.
Third-place prize winners were: Matlakala Chaka, for Excellence in Primary School Leadership, and Fezeka Dube, for Excellence in Special Needs Teaching.
