My name is Sibulele Zingitwa. I grew up in a small town in the Eastern Cape called Mount Fletcher.
I was raised by my middle-class mother who is a teacher herself and a passionate champion for the empowerment of the black child through education. She encouraged me to get an education and to learn to be independent.
During my schooling journey while I was growing up, things went well until 2019 when I lost my bursary. I was going into my third year of study pursuing a BSc in actuarial science.
I was forced to turn that year into a gap year, but still managed to obtain certification for data science that year and came across the ISASA South African Mathematics and Science Teacher Intern Programme (SAMSTIP) programme while searching for other bursary opportunities.
I went through a rigorous application and selection process which included written assessments and interviews. I was successful and got accepted into the SAMSTIP programme, and I had to enrol for a Bed at the University of South Africa (UNISA). I joined St Andrews School for Girls in Johannesburg in January 2020, and started my BEd qualification at the same time.
Opportunity of a Lifetime at St Andrew’s School for Girls
I am based in the mathematics department at my host school. I have had the opportunity to observe and learn from the teachers in the department. In my second year at St Andrew’s, I taught Grade 10 mathematical literacy and I now teach the Grade 11s the same subject.
In addition to my teaching duties, I occasionally get the opportunity to substitute when a teacher is absent within the department. I stay and work in the boarding house and I teach Grade 8 and 9 mathematics at Ubambiswano, which is a Saturday school at St Andrew’s for children from Etwatwa and Daveyton.
The kind of mentorship and support that I receive from the different areas of the St Andrew’s community is empowering. I am exposed to different working environments, cultures, and operational teaching systems in the senior school, at Ubambiswano and in the boarding house.
Like any other journey that is worth embarking upon, my journey at St Andrew’s has had some challenges along the way, with the most significant being the difficulty of striking a healthy balance between all my work at the school and my studies at UNISA.
Despite these challenges I have been able to maintain an average of above 70% in my studies and to truly immerse myself and take full advantage of all the opportunities that the SAMSTIP programme has to offer.
Currently, I am in the third year of my studies, and I am hopeful that I will make it to my fourth year next year. I appreciate the unique opportunity that the internship has afforded me – to gain experience at a prestigious institution and to be part of a warm and vibrant community.
In conclusion, I am grateful that God has awarded me this experience through SAMSTIP. I am looking forward to what the future holds for me, and to contributing to creating teaching and learning cultures in any school I might teach in in the future. I hope to transmit my love for mathematics and science to as many learners as possible.
For more information about the SAMSTIP Programme, please contact Lesiba Langa at ISASA.