Dr Mamphela Ramphele welcomes teachers and learners at African Education Week and Career Indaba on Thursday

Free expo workshops and latest teaching technology on show Dr Mamphela Ramphele, leader of Agang SA, will deliver the keynote address during the opening of African Education Week at the Sandton Convention Centre this Thursday, 20 June at 09h00.Thousands of teachers and learners are expected at the seventh annual African Education Week and Career Indaba taking place from Thursday 20 June until Saturday 22 June.  The events form the largest meeting and trading platform of its kind on the continent for everyone who is passionate about improving the standard of education in Africa.  The conference will focus on topics such as STEM* education, improving FET colleges and the role of social media and technology in the classroom.*STEM=Science, technology, engineering, mathematicsAll teachers are welcomeThe events also offer teachers free, practical courses to improve their classroom and technical skills and learners can attend talks on career choices and how to find a job after matric.Earlier, Dr Ramphele said her message at the event will be that “educators have a sacred duty to nurture talent and inspire every child to become, from all aspects, the best human being possible!” Joining Dr Ramphele for the opening session are education experts:-  Graeme Bloch, independent education expert-  Gavin Keller, a veteran education analyst and development activist-  Johannes Cronjé, Dean of Informatics and Design Cape Peninsula University of Technology -  Louise van Rhyn, Executive Director of SymphoniaSays African Education Week’s programme director Claire O’Connell:  “we are committed and passionate about helping to improve and change how teaching and learning take place in classrooms across Africa.  I want to invite all teachers to come along to African Education Week’s Learning Expo and attend more than 60 free workshops on the expo floor and learn from our expert speakers and from each other.  A wide variety of topics are covered, from engaging students in science and maths, to applying the latest technology in the classroom.”Career IndabaEntrance to the Career Indaba expo is also free and aims to bridge the gap for students between studying and entering the world of work with presentations on career guidance in a variety of fields, job interview and CV writing tips, celebrity appearances and much more.  All grade 11 and 12 learners, university and college students and their parents are welcome at Career Indaba.  Talks are offered on a variety of career paths, including the entertainment industry, theatre, fashion, printing, the wine and hospitality sector and management accounting. Learners can also attend workshops on how to choose the right career, how to apply for bursaries and hear celebrities such as 5FM’s Sureshnie Rider and DJ Fix and singer Chad Saaiman share their success stories.Latest teaching technologyThe African Education Week Learning Expo will feature the latest teaching technology and software to help teachers perform better in the classroom.  Solar powered, mobile classrooms:  “Samsung started off by offering the African continent our Solar Powered Internet Schools (SPIS),” says Paulo Ferreira, Head of Enterprise Mobility at Samsung South Africa, gold sponsor at the event, “a world-first; the exclusively solar-powered, mobile and completely independent classroom is geared at increasing accessibility to education and connectivity across Africa.  It is designed particularly for use in remote rural areas with limited or no access to electricity.”  Accountancy:  Sage Pastel Accounting is now an essential component in the accounting curriculum for Grades 10, 11 and 12Assessment:  EDGE Campus will launch Qurio, an assessment product built for the education industry, simplifying the tiring and tedious job of assessments through the use of mobile and web technologies.Accountancy:   CashCow™ comes in the form of a toolkit and board game, and can be used in conjunction with entry level school and college textbooks.  It is aligned to the current CAPS curriculum and is available in English and Afrikaans.Disabled:  Tobii Technology is the world's leading manufacturer of eye control technology and allows individuals with complex disabilities to control all the functions of their computer using only their eyes. Mathematics:  My Maths Buddy will demystify maths and has been specifically designed to cater to our multi-lingual society.Parents also very welcome“I want to urge parents to encourage their kids to pre-register for Career Indaba and come along as well”, says Claire O’Connell,” the expo is open until Saturday 22 June.  Moms and dads will find the free workshops very helpful whilst guiding their children towards making important decisions regarding career choice, bursary deadlines, preparing for job interviews or starting a business.”  There will also be plenty of fun on the Career Indaba expo floor with loads of prizes on offer while visitors will have the opportunity to meet the cast of the movie Spud 2.  Career Indaba is also proud to host a special wish wall where everyone will be able to write a message to former President Nelson Mandela for his 95th birthday. Anyone can pre-register online as an Exhibition Visitor for free entry at www.educationweek.co.za  or www.careerindaba.co.za African Education Week & Career Indaba expo times:Thursday, 20 June 2013:  09h00-18h30Friday, 21 June 2013:  09h00-17h00Saturday, 22 June 2013:  09h00-17h00Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Education_Week Media contact:Annemarie RoodbolTelephone: 021 7003558Mobile:  082 5627844Email:  annemarie.roodbol@clarionevents.com