LIMPOPO – Frans du Toit High School teacher Alfred Mokgalaka is set to raise the South African flag high as he represents the country in the prestigious Global Teacher Prize in Dubai from February 10 to 14.

Mokgalaka, who was named South Africa’s best teacher for 2022/23, is among the top 50 teachers shortlisted from a pool of 5 000 teachers worldwide.

With over 30 years of experience in education, 19 of them at Frans du Toit, he hopes to continue to make an impact.

During his time in Dubai, he will engage with global teachers, attending workshops on transformative education, including a panel discussion themed “Building the Future We Imagined,” hosted by the Dubai American Academy and GEMS Wellington International.

A strong advocate for skills-based education, Mokgalaka believes that assessments should focus on practical skills rather than memorisation. “We must test learners on building robots, phones, cars, and computers, not just on how many times the sun revolves around the earth in a year,” he said.

Born in Giyani, Mokgalaka originally aspired to study medicine but found his true passion in teaching.

In 2020, he launched online Xitsonga classes to help learners recover lost learning time during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The platform has since expanded, benefitting learners across Gauteng and Mpumalanga.

Beyond the classroom, Mokgalaka is the head of African languages at Frans du Toit High School and a member of the school’s management team. His talents extend beyond teaching, he is also a recording RnB artist, filmmaker, and soccer coach, both at the school and in his community.

Mokgalaka said he is proud to be representing South Africa. “It is a great honour to fly the South African flag on an international stage,” he said.