Unpacking the role of Life Orientation teachers

Unisa’s Midlands region, in collaboration with the Department of Education, Thabo Mofutsanyana District, presented Life Orientation workshops on 13 and 14 September 2022 in Phuthaditjaba and Bethlehem, respectively.

Mantoa Potjo, Student Counsellor from Unisa’s Bloemfontein RSC, sharing information with Life Orientation educators from the Phuthaditjhaba area

Life Orientation educators play a vital role in advising and empowering learners with relevant information that will help them to make informed career decisions.

In unpacking the roles of Life Orientation educators, Lindiwe Sithole, Departmental Head of Life Orientation and Creative Arts from the Department of Education, Thabo Mofutsanyana District, outlined that it is important for educators to guide learners based on their strengths and weaknesses and to provide support and guidance on how to make informed career choices.

Sithole said that educators are there to motivate, inspire and encourage learners, and give them quality education to prepare them for tertiary education. She urged educators to make time and pay attention to external factors that may interrupt learners, including social, environmental, emotional and spiritual factors. “Educators need to prepare learners for post-matric and empower them with information that will enable them to deal with those factors,” she said.

Winston Rampedi, Communication and Marketing Manager, Unisa Midlands Region, explained how Unisa operates as a comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODeL) institution and further shared the vision of the university – Towards the African university shaping futures in the service of humanity – which drives the institution to find solutions to educational challenges.

He took the participants through the student walk and made them aware of support services available to students to enhance their learning experience. He encouraged the educators to be part of lifelong learning and to study further for postgraduate qualifications that are available at Unisa. Furthermore, he notified educators that Unisa will be celebrating the magnificent milestone of 150 years of existence next year.

(From left) Winston Rampedi (Communication and Marketing Manager, Midlands Region), Seitlheko Sejake (Circuit Manager; DoE, Thabo Mofutsanyane District), Dikeledi Mntambo (Career Development Services Coordinator, DoE, Thabo Mofutsanyana District), Mantoa Potjo (Student Counsellor, Bloemfontein RSC) and Kamogelo Buys (Regional Office Coordinator, Kroonstad RSC)

Kroonstad Regional Office Coordinator, Kamogelo Buys, shared information on careers available at Unisa, admission requirements, the online application process, recognition of prior learning (RPL) and financial assistance. She emphasised the importance of checking the available career options and admission requirements before completing an online application form, and further encouraged participants to visit the website for more information. Buys made a call for people living with disabilities to disclose their challenges so that they can access support services available to them. “Don’t distance yourselves – as Unisa is an open distance e-learning institution, we bridge the gap through the online student support services we offer,” she said.

Bloemfontein Regional Service Centre Student Counsellor, Mantoa Potjo, gave an overview of the career guidance services, outlining career counselling as offered by career specialists and career advice offered by teachers. She indicated that teachers need to pay attention to learners’ personalities, values, environmental factors, academic abilities and interests when providing career guidance to learners. The presentation was practical with the use of case studies to engage the educators to think about how they can apply the skills learnt in practical settings.

A total of 74 Life Orientation educators from various schools in the Thabo Mofutsanyana district attended the workshops.

* By Thotogelo Masenya, Communications and Marketing Officer, Unisa Midlands Region