TEACH South Africa TEACH South Africa TEACH South Africa was first established in 2005 to support the Department of Education in addressing the national skills shortage in the areas of Maths, Science, English and Technology. In pursuing this mission, TEACH South Africa signed up 50 dynamic graduates from leading South African universities in 2010, placing them in schools where their skills are most needed, typically within disadvantaged areas. Called TEACH Ambassadors, these committed graduates add great value to the lives of learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. The TEACH South Africa programme puts applicants through a rigorous selection process. Successful applicants then go through four weeks of intensive training and orientation before being placed in a local school as a TEACH Ambassador for a period of two years. Last year’s training programme was held in December 2010, in good time for the 2011 school year. Sessions were facilitated by qualified professionals from the South African education system who shared their own teaching experiences, and helped the new recruits better understand and feel prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the system. For instance, the Former MEC for Education Mary Metcalfe introduced TEACH Ambassadors to new and innovative ways of teaching in the classrooms.