The National Teaching Awards (NTA) was conceptualised and launched in 2000 and now enters its twenty second year of implementation, by the Department of Basic Education. Through extensive consultation, the scheme has been refined, sharpened, as well as broadened in terms of its frame and categories.
The Department of Basic Education 22nd National Teaching Awards (NTA) were held at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Brummeria, Pretoria.
The DBE-E³ sponsored the DBE-E³ National Best Teacher Award, as a way to celebrate the importance of South Africa’s teachers and educators, recognising those who are showing true excellence in the profession.
This year’s winners were Mr Ridwan Samodien, Kannemeyer Primary School, Grassy Park for Kader Asmal Lifetime Achievement Award; and the National Best Teacher Award was given to Adil Shaik Mungalee, from Dr Yusuf Dadoo Primary School, and Mr Alfred Mogkalaka from Hoerskool Frans Du Toit.
The 2022 DBE-E³ National Best Teacher Award winner received a R50,000 cash prize. This year’s award was open to teachers who embody the skills which focus on transforming the lives of learners and the community. Those skills will include the introduction of digital learning tools, ensuring that all children have access to quality education and initiated environmental and other projects.
The NTA scheme is one of the ways in which the Department of Basic Education (DBE) acknowledges the extraordinary efforts made by excellent teachers, often in very difficult conditions. Such teachers provide for better futures for learners, because the lack of quality education is a major factor behind many social, political, economic and health challenges faced by the world today; as well as contributing to poverty, prejudice and conflict.
Teachers nominated represent the diverse nature of schools across the country and will be awarded for their excellence across a variety of categories including, but not limited to Excellence in Grade R Teaching, Excellence in Primary School Teaching, Excellence in Secondary School Teaching, Excellence in Secondary School Leadership as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The 22nd edition of the Awards has been benchmarked against worldwide teacher award strategies such as the African Union Teacher Prize, the Commonwealth Education Awards and the Global Teacher Prize.
The nomination process of teachers starts at schools where the schools’ nomination teams select teachers for the various categories. The names of the selected teachers are forwarded to the districts that select district winners, through a process of adjudication. The final phase is the selection of national winners by a national adjudication panel.
