Luthando Molefe
Nominee's Province:
Kwazulu-natal
Age:
28
Project Name/Description:
Lecturer – University of KwaZulu-Natal
Luthando Molefe is a lecturer and coordinator in academic monitoring and support, a youth activist and a PhD candidate in teacher education and professional development at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Molefe believes that education has the power to change people’s lives as it equips them with relevant skills and knowledge, including the values and attitudes necessary for self-fulfilment and meaningful participation towards the development of their world. He holds many accolades in the areas of academic excellence, community engagement and leadership for his outstanding contributions. He also holds over 110 certificates of excellence in these areas. Molefe says that in the 30 years since South Africa gained independence, several things have been observed about transforming education. “Access to free and quality education as tabled in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa has been experienced in a number of corners and school contexts around the country. This also includes supporting materials and mechanisms such as adequate learning and teaching spaces, including computer and science, and technology laboratories, among other things, in realising the process and the outputs of the schooling systems,” he states. “I believe the South African education system still grapples with what I call a two-ply schooling system. This is an approach that embraces individuals with resources and access to quality education. On the other hand, it presents a system that does not support or rather ignores those without resources for adequate learning and teaching.”
