UNESCO Director-General visits Funda UJabule Primary School
It was also a learning moment for Azoulay as she was taken on a tour of the state if the art institution where she got to witness the use of South African languages in a Grade One class.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General, Audrey Azoulay has commended Funda UJabule for its unique teaching model and use of indigenous languages in a bit to promote inclusivity.
Azoulay also took a keen interest in the University of Johannesburg (UJ)’s Faculty of Education flagship institution and invited it to join UNESCO’s network of associated schools.
This comes after the Director-General visited the Soweto based school last week as part of strengthening ties between UNESCO and the local education sector.
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“We are very interested in this unique model,” said Azoulay during her engagement with the school officials.
“We’re very interested also in the way you use all the languages to teach which is one of UNESCO’s big fight because we believe that it is very important for children to access education in their languages.
“We know it’s challenging and difficult and this is also one of the things that contributed to why we wanted to look at everything that’s happening here and learn from it.”
The visit to Funda Ujabule follows South Africa’s participation at the 41st UNESCO General Conference in France where Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga extended an invitation to Azoulay to the country as a way to strengthen ties with UNESCO.
She was joined by UJ Chancellor, Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Ihron Rensburg and the Department of Basic Education Johannesburg Central District Director, Tshepo Seate.
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This visit also provided an opportunity to showcase South Africa’s abilities and work in relation to UNESCO’s mandate across various sectors, in particular education, culture and science.
It was also a learning moment for Azoulay as she was taken on a tour of the state if the art institution where she got to witness the use of South African languages in a Grade One class.
Funda UJabule was established in 2010 as a teacher education and research school within the University of Johannesburg’s faculty of Education.
Apart from providing services to the children of Soweto, it also acts as a training ground for university students pursuing teacher education.
Professor Sarah Gravett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation and one of the founders of Funda UJabule expressed joy in seeing the school grow and getting the recognition it deserves.
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“I am very thankful that when I went to the then Vice Chancellor and Principal, Professor Rensburg and said I want us to start a teaching school at our Soweto Campus, he was very supportive,” said Professor Gravett.
“I am also grateful for the support we received from Minister Angie Motshekga who was at that time MEC for Education in Gauteng. Without their crucial backing we would not be here today.”
Expressing her gratitude and appreciation, the Principal of the school, Sabina Lukhuleni said, “It’s such an honour that a person from UNESCO would leave everything to come to our school and want to learn about how we do things here.”
