Being a Teacher in Post-Apartheid South Africa

In a compelling exploration of the challenges faced by newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in South Africa’s evolving educational landscape, this book provides an empirically grounded account of their experiences. Drawing on extensive research, it offers a poignant narrative that seeks to illuminate the nuanced journey these educators embark upon as they transition from teacher-education spaces to the complex reality of classrooms in post-Apartheid South Africa. The book acts as a crucial platform for the voices of NQTs, shedding light on the myriad enablers and disablers they encounter during this transformative period. Timely and relevant, it tackles pressing questions about the readiness of teacher education to prepare students for the demands of South African schools. The book charts the transition from teacher education to active teacher for NQTs. The lessons distilled from this research present a clarion call for a (re)assessment of teacher-education policies and practices. This book arrives at a pivotal moment, as South Africa reviews its teacher-education policies. With the quality of initial teacher-education programmes under scrutiny, the book’s critiques, findings, and recommendations serve as indispensable tools for policymakers arguing for the need to reconceptualise South African teacher-education policies. As South Africa strives to avoid a cycle of developing new teachers only to lose them due to inadequate support, this book seeks to support educators, policymakers, and all those invested in the future of South African education toward creating a more socially just education system, recognising the highly unequal society in which teachers work.