SAPA 2024 discusses future of South African education

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Ahead of her address, Department of Basic Education minister, Siviwe Gwarube, stated that the demand for school managers is growing: “The competency of school principals is therefore considered a national imperative, which poses an enormous challenge to the education system.”  

Julia Hlahle, SAPA Gauteng President, added: “The teacher shortage, aggravated by budget cuts, is overwhelming, and yet we still have good news stories coming from our schools across the country. We remain realistic about the challenges we face but look to the positives to navigate the path ahead. The conference will empower us to tackle the mammoth task of leading our schools.”

The program

The program covered five core areas of focus for school leaders: Psycho-social support and wellness, leadership and administration, curriculum and instructional excellence, digital skills and technology integration, and infrastructure and resource management.

Speakers:

• Hector “The Motivator” Mathabe - MC
• Linda Ntuli
• Abdullah Verachia
• Zanele Njapha
• David Molapo
• Prof Mazwe Majola

SAPA 2024

This year, SAPA made it its mission to ensure that principals from no-fee-paying schools can attend the conference and benefit from this transformative experience.

Through corporate sponsorship, a number of these principals will attend, ensuring that school leaders from all economic backgrounds have access to the professional development opportunities and knowledge sharing that the conference offers. 

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SAPA National President, Grant Butler, says: “The SAPA National Conference enables us as school leaders to develop professionally by being exposed to the latest thinking in the broader educational conversation, and to enjoy the collegiality and collaboration between colleagues who face the same challenges, celebrate the same triumphs, and strive to meet the high demands of managing a modern school. 

“Having said that, every school faces its own set of unique challenges. While some worry over the safety and appropriateness of pit latrines, others debate whether AI is a threat or an opportunity that should be harnessed. Some worry whether the road to the school is going to wash away in the next heavy rains, while others are concerned that the data stream into their school’s fibre-optic network will be enough to support e-learning on multiple devices. Together we will work to identify solutions to the somewhat daunting challenge that we face.”

idna Africa is the creative force behind the conference architecture and programme. They engaged principals across the public education landscape to learn exactly what their challenges are, what they need in order to empower themselves to lead their schools more effectively, and what they hoped to gain from the conference.