Teaching is a calling says award winner

TEACHING is not just a career, but a calling and a good teacher must have a love for children.

This is the opinion of the country’s best Grade R teacher, Zululand’s Lindiwe Gumede.

A teacher at Uvondlo Primary School outside the Nseleni township, Gumede was recently announced as the Best Teacher in Grade R in South Africa at the National Teacher Awards ceremony in Gauteng.

The Gingindlovu-born Gumede is passionate about the noble profession and wants to encourage her contemporaries to revive the image of teaching, which she says has been dented over the past few years.

‘We need to be exemplary in executing our duties as teachers so as to inspire the young generation. We need to go back to the basics and correct all the mistakes we have made in the past.

‘It is a known fact that for the past few years the Department of Education, not only in this district, but in the whole country, has been rocked by incidents of infighting, school disruptions, violence and criminal activities.’

Gumede’s journey to national recognition started at a cluster level where she was voted as top teacher, then claimed the honours at provincial level before scooping the national award.

For her achievement, Gumede won a car and prize money of R25 000.

‘I saw an opportunity to enter the best teacher category because I believed in my capabilities and the passion I have for my job.’

Gumede matriculated at Uphindo High School before enrolling at Richtek for a course in financial management.

She first worked at CCMA as a switchboard operator, but the calling for teaching never stopped.

She finally joined Uvondlo Primary School in2009 after completing her B Paed degree at Embury College in Durban.

‘I have no plans to quit teaching, but my biggest dream is to become the best school principal one day,’ she added.