Background: Becoming a teacher

Why did I become a teacher? I think I was deeply influenced by my family, as members of my own family, as well as my parents’ family, were all teachers.  I grew up in this teacher ‘genre’. At school, several of my teachers, especially Mr Danie van Schalkwyk and the then Miss Johanna Geldenhuys (now Prof at the NMMU), also played a positive role, as they often stated that I embodied all the aspects of a good teacher. So I applied in my matric year for a teaching bursary, was interviewed by an inspector of the Department of Education, and received a letter stating that the bursary had been awarded.

I worked hard during my college years and received many medals and certificates of recognition from the Port Elizabeth Teachers Training College and educational related bodies. After college I studied at the University of Port Elizabeth, which offered me a merit bursary based upon my college achievement. At the then UPE, I also excelled and received various further merit bursaries.