Tsakani – The education department launched the National Teaching Awards (NTA) in 2000. The scheme is one way the Department of Basic Education (DBE) acknowledges the extraordinary efforts made by excellent teachers, often in tough conditions.
The concept of appreciating and recognising teachers has gained worldwide prominence, and as a result, SA teachers are encouraged to participate and shine on the global stage.
The nomination process of teachers starts at schools, where the schools’ nomination teams select teachers for various categories.
The names of those teachers get forwarded to the districts that determine the district winners through adjudication processes. The final phase is the selection of national winners by a national adjudication panel.
A teacher from Tsakane Primary School, Luyanda Chili (24), entered the competition and was recognised by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) as a provincial winner for his hard work and commitment.
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He will represent the Gauteng province head-to-head with other provincial winners across SA in his category.
“I entered into the NTA under the excellence in primary school teaching category because I believe I am an excellent educator and do exceptionally well in the classroom.
“As part of the requirements, I had to put together a 35-minute presentation showcasing what I do inside and outside the classroom and the impacts I have made in the school and the community. I had to give an overview of how the school functions,” Chili said.
He said after presenting his work to the district, he was announced as a cluster winner in position one and moved to the second phase of the competition, the provincial level.
“In the second level, I had to do the same thing, a 35-minute presentation which showcased my work activities and teaching practices. The only difference was that it included all the provincial clusters from clusters one to seven, and I represented cluster seven.
“I furthermore won position one among all seven clusters. And I am to move to the national level,” Chili added.
Chili said he is now the face of the GDE, with a 92% overall presentation score at the provincial level.
“This makes me the best primary school educator across the province,” he added.
School principal Ntsoaki Tshandu said she is proud of Chili and his achievements, saying he brought much change and implementation into the school as a young teacher.
“Chili is an asset to this school. He is a teacher who is easily accessible, especially to the children, and he interacts with the community in an impactful way. He once organised an anti-bullying campaign for the school, and it received recognition and support from the community, the provincial safety and security department, law enforcers and emergency services,” she said.
She said the campaign was the first of its kind to be hosted by their school, and it gained so much support, adding that Chili also introduced projects in the school such as public speaking, debating and spelling bee classes.
She added that Chilli is an innovative teacher who enjoys giving learners life skills practically and as a lesson. In 2022, he integrated life skills workbooks as a way of helping learners understand the subject better and reinforce the learning content.
“He also introduced a peer support programme, which helps learners who struggle with reading, struggle emotionally and with social ills, and those who are psychologically disturbed,” she added.
Tshandu said Chilli also provides additional support to the parents whose children struggle academically, saying he gives them activities they should practice with their children at home to support them academically.
Tshandu mentioned he scooped nine awards at the 2024 Gauteng East District Youth and Culture Awards in various categories.
“He is also a lead educator at the school and district level. He works closely with district officials for life skills and English and received an opportunity to attend various workshops and capacitate other educators within his reach teaching the same subjects (English or life skills).
Chilli highlighted that he helps the school wherever he can, saying in 2023, he helped launch scholar patrols. He is also the deputy chairperson for the school’s Soul Buddies Club, ensuring solid implementation of all its activities.
He further said he loves working with children, his true passion. He said this passion made him develop a love for community work and upliftment.
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