If you’ve got a passion for education—and currently hold an undergraduate degree—then a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) may be the next step for your career path.
Teaching provides stable employment in a meaningful job, making it a great option for students who have a passion for learning and enriching young minds.
It is important to note, however, that you need to want a career in teaching. Teaching is a calling and you have to be sure that it’s the career for you!
Ready to find out if you should do a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)? Let’s dive in!
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What You Need to Know About a PGCE
If you are considering a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, here is what you are going to need to know.
A PGCE is a 1 to 2-year postgraduate course offered at various institutions. The course will provide you with the skills and qualifications to teach your studied subject in schools.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education provides students with a better understanding of teaching skills and not just of teaching specific content. Obtaining a PGCE qualification, in addition to an undergraduate degree, allows students to become teachers.
There are three areas you can specialise in when studying a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in South Africa:
- PGCE in the Foundation Phase: Prepares you to teach children in primary school and covers Grades R to 3.
- PGCE in the Intermediate Phase: Prepares you to teach children in primary school and covers Grades 4 to 6.
- PGCE in the Senior and FET Phase: Prepares you to teach high school learners, with the Senior Phase covering Grades 7 to 9 and the FET Phase covering Grades 10 to 12.
After completing an undergraduate degree (for example a BA, BA Dramatic Arts, BA Fine Arts, B Mus, BCom, or BSc) with the appropriate subjects, one can qualify as a high school teacher by studying a one-year full-time or 2-year part-time PGCE at various institutions.
In order to teach certain subjects and qualify for a PGCE, you are required to have completed specific subjects in your undergraduate degree. For example, in order to teach Drama in schools, you are required to have already completed subjects like Speech and Drama training or Dramatic Arts. In order to teach certain languages such as English or Zulu, you must also have taken those subjects in your undergraduate degree.
Depending on the chosen institution, the PGCE can be either full-time or part-time and usually entails attending lectures. The content covered includes topics such as theories about how children learn and receive information.
Some universities offer PGCE courses around the theory of education as well as a methodology that expands on the ‘How’ of teaching. Practical components are also included such as school placements.
School placements are when you as a student visit a school for a given period of time to teach and engage practically with the course content.
Why Study a PGCE?
Studying for a PGCE can provide fantastic career opportunities for you. There is always a huge demand for teachers, both in South Africa and internationally. If you are passionate about the subject you have studied and enjoy working with young people, then this may be for you.
Getting qualified for a PGCE and embarking on a career in teaching allows you to deepen your understanding of a subject and goes beyond just teaching others.
Over and above, having a PGCE qualification opens up the door to a variety of careers that you can explore within the education sector—from governance and training to academia.
There are many benefits to continuing your studies and opting for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), however many students may find completing their studies daunting and choose this as a manner in which to avoid leaving varsity and entering into the ‘real’ world.
Becoming a teacher is more than just dictating from a textbook—this role has great responsibility and, by following this career path, you will become part of shaping a young individual’s future. It is not a degree that should be taken lightly!
Where and How Can You Study a PGCE?
As mentioned above, a PGCE can be done at most higher education institutions such as colleges, and universities—or even online if you aren’t able to physically attend classes. In South Africa, there are a few institutions that offer a postgraduate certificate in education:
- The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)
- University of Johannesburg (UJ)
- The University of Cape Town (UCT)
- University of Kwazulu Natal (UKZN)
- Stellenbosch University (Maties)
- STADIO Higher Education
- MANCOSA
The education field is in need of quality teachers and therefore there are usually bursaries and loans available. Your first point of call to look for a bursary or study loan for a PGCE should be in one of the following places:
Fund Your PGCE with Fundi
Another year or two of studying isn’t for everyone and maybe you’d like to start working and leave the lecture halls and student life behind. For others, getting a PGCE may however be the key to solidifying their teaching career path.
If you want to pursue a career in education—but lack funding— Fundi can help with that!
Be sure to use the Fundi Study Loan Calculator to see if you qualify and embark on your teaching career journey today!
