MANCOSA open days will help matrics decide on future studies

Many students who wrote and passed the matric examinations will still be undecided about what course to study towards a career.

In an effort to help them decide about tertiary education, private higher education institution MANCOSA will hold two Open Days when students may engage with student advisors and academics and learn more about the programmes that are offered.

MANCOSA, which has over 25 years expertise in distance learning with online support, invites students and their parents to tour the state-of-the-art facilities at the MANCOSA Durban Learning Centre in Samora Machel Street, on Friday, 21 January from 9am to 1pm and on Saturday, 22 January from 9am to 12 noon.

Some lucky students also stand the chance of winning bursary vouchers worth thousands of rands.

Some of the courses that are expected to attract many students are those offered at the School of Education (SoE) and the School of Information and Digital Technology (SIDT).

The SoE includes a state-of-the-art iTeach Lab, a first of its kind to combine elements of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) in seven unique hubs designed to prepare and empower student-teachers for the 21st century.

Professor Magnate Ntombela, principal of MANCOSA, said: South Africa doesn’t graduate an adequate number of teachers to meet the supply and demand.

“More teachers are leaving than entering the profession. Currently, the country’s initial teacher institutions graduate 15 000 new teachers per year. This is below the 25 000-mark required to maintain an effective teacher-pupil ratio.

“There is a dire need to find 20 000 newly-qualified teachers each year to maintain current teacher-pupil ratios. 

“MANCOSA’s SoE and the iTeach Lab will help produce a hyperfunctioning teacher with the mental fortitude for work in a SA classroom where conditions are less than favourable,” he said.

Paresh Soni, Director of MANCOSA’s SIDT, believes that the future is bright for digital immigrants.

“We need to understand that the digital economy requires a diversity of individuals with an assortment of digital skills. After all, not everyone in the digital economy can be a coder, a cloud specialist, or an artificial intelligence developer.

“Beyond the demand for IT gurus and hardcore tech-fundi’s, which will always be there, industry 4.0 also requires digi-SANs (digital artisans), digi-TIVEs (digital executives whose primary portfolio does not include technology), digi-TORs (digital creators), digi-NEURs (digital corporate entrepreneurs) and digi-TERs (digital coordinators), who work across functions and departments and are able to create value in a digital space,” said Soni.

Featured image: The SoE includes a state-of-the-art iTeach Lab, a first of its kind to combine elements of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) in seven unique hubs designed to prepare and empower student-teachers for the 21st century