Fourteen excellent Realema teacher interns are completing their B.Ed degrees in Foundation, Intermediate and Senior FET phases this year. They have received four years of full-time, best-practice classroom experience at top South African schools, where they have been fully immersed in the school environment and trained in all aspects of teaching. They are passionate and professional and will be an asset to any school!
Please contact us if you want to receive their CVs or learn more about them.
About Us
Our Vision & Mission
We offer comprehensive bursaries to talented and hard-working students of colour from vulnerable communities to study for a teaching degree, while gaining valuable work experience as full-time teacher interns at top schools. We help our bursary recipients build sustainable careers in teaching, while also developing the passionate and professional teachers that South Africa so badly needs.
We provide our interns with the necessary support to encourage their successful completion of a professional teaching degree. We make use of existing and available expertise and manage resources and processes responsibly to ensure the long-term sustainability of the programme.
Realema
What Sets Us Apart
Each individual matters
Our first measure of success is whether we have a positive impact on each individual intern. During the four years that they spend with Realema, we try to get to know and understand our interns, support them individually according to their needs, and teach them accountability through a system of kind but firm care.
Our interns are not strangers to us
We source our interns largely from predetermined feeder schools and programmes in vulnerable communities, and we receive input on their characters before offering bursaries. Through our Candidate Enrichment Programme, we start interacting with our candidates a year before offering bursaries, which gives us an opportunity to get to know them before recommending them to our partner schools.
WE ENSURE THAT THEY ARE SUITED TO TEACHING
The application process is rigorous, with a wide range of metrics that are tracked over a year. Our intern candidates complete aptitude and/or integrity assessments, job shadow teachers where possible, write letters of motivation, and have numerous interviews. We also receive character feedback on our candidates from our feeder schools.
Our accommodation arrangements
We try to arrange food and lodging for our interns at their partner schools. This eliminates the expense and stress of commuting every day, and it alleviates some of the pressures they may experience in their home environments. Realema provides some additional financial assistance to those interns who cannot be accommodated at schools.
OUR PARTNER SCHOOL SYSTEM
Our partner schools are top schools who support our vision, and who give freely of their time and expertise to help our interns succeed. Our interns learn best teaching practice and receive the work experience that sets them apart from other graduates. All the partner schools provide workplace mentors to our interns, to develop their classroom, teaching, extra-mural and other professional skills.
Comprehensive mentoring system
We have a comprehensive and layered mentoring system. They receive individual mentoring, academic tuition and classroom coaching. They also have access to professional counselling and coaching, and have full access to Realema’s management team. Additionally, life skills workshops are offered, and there are gatherings where they share knowledge.
“The quality of a school system will never exceed the quality of its teachers.”
– Andreas Schleicher
Our Impact
Intern Testimonials
I graduated from Realema in 2019 with a Bachelor of Education degree from UNISA. Since then, I have gained five years of valuable experience working as a teacher at Redhill School and St Peter’s Girls Prep School. In 2023, I successfully completed my Honours degree at Wits, majoring in Maths Education.
Today, I am proudly teaching Grade 7 Maths at St Peter’s Girls Prep School. I am thrilled to share that I was also appointed as the Grade 7 Head starting in 2024.
I attribute my achievements and growth as an educator to Realema, as they believed in me and provided me with the platform to become the best teacher I can be today. I am truly grateful for the opportunities given to me by Realema.
– Faith Ralane
Becoming a teacher has always been a dream of mine because it allows me to inspire and empower young minds, shaping the leaders and innovators of tomorrow. Realema has been instrumental in my journey to becoming a teacher by providing me with the necessary tools, knowledge, and support. Having received support from the Roedean Academy when I was at school, I believe in paying it forward and giving back to the community, which is why I have become involved in the Pridwin Academy.
– Thulisile Ngwenya
Thank you, Dr Van Wyk, for the informative and motivational presentations, your time and effort are greatly appreciated. What I’ve learned from your presentations and words of advice will always be remembered in both my educational and corporate journey
– Kulthoom Lewis
I could never have enough words to express the gratitude my family and I have towards Realema. I want to impact a society that is shaken. It starts with impacting just one learner, who then makes a difference to her family and friends. That is the opportunity that Realema has offered to me. Kingsmead College has given me insight into what being a teacher really is about. I experience three different classrooms during maths periods, and see three different ways of teaching different aspects of the same lesson. The loving atmosphere at Kingsmead and all the teachers that help shape me is exceptional. What I love the most is the opportunity to be with the sweetest little girls, get to know them, and help them where I best can. I look forward to the future I have with Realema.
– Ablonvie Landu
Realema’s thorough training programme has been a vital part of my journey. The online courses, workshops, and mentorship opportunities have armed me with the information and abilities required to excel in the field of education. There have been setbacks along the road. Balancing the obligations of my internship, remote education, and private life has been challenging at times. Realema taught me the value of tenacity, empathy, and resilience. It has given me the tools, support, and inspiration I need to pursue my dream of teaching and making a difference in the lives of others.
– Sandra Ncube
I have learned a lot from these sessions and have grown as an individual as well. I’d also like to thank the team for ensuring that none of us are left behind with the sessions and have adequate data to help us participate.
– Nombulelo Mncube
This first year of the teacher internship has been wonderful so far. I realise each day that teaching is the right choice for me. I love interacting with the students, the rest of the staff and I have so much fun on the sports field. This is the first job where I am having fun while working hard. The support from everyone has really helped me – the teachers at Rondebosch Boys’ have been most welcoming. Realema has supported me in anything I have needed, and it is reassuring to know that so many people have your back and will go to many lengths to support you. As a teacher intern, I can now experience first-hand the impact teachers have on their students, and how important the work we do is. I used to take time for granted, but with limited free time as a Realema intern, I now understand that a productive routine makes a massive difference to your studies and work. I couldn’t be more grateful to Realema and Rondebosch Boys’ for this opportunity. I cannot begin to express how happy and fulfilled I am. This is the first time in a very long time where I look forward to every single day.
– Sanga Maqubela
The year 2023 was a pivotal time in my professional development, significantly enhancing my adaptability and flexibility. There were numerous instances where I had to step in for another teacher at short notice. I endeavoured to capitalize on these opportunities and am grateful for the invaluable lessons learnt from these experiences. I also had the privilege of spending considerable time with various mentors. Observing diverse classrooms provided me with insights into the advantages of various teaching styles. This exposure offered a structured environment for engagement and teaching. In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I was also committed to extracurricular activities such as basketball and gwijo, which is a practice of collective singing originating from Xhosa culture but practiced in numerous spaces such as ceremonies, sports fixtures or just as a creative outlet that brings people together. Carrying on from managing the basketball U15s at the end of last year, I am managing the U16 age group this year. This is a space that I look forward to investing myself into.
– Chandapiwa Makhubela