When teaching becomes more than just a career

POLOKWANE – In celebration of World Teacher’s Day on 5 October, Review spoke to Jacobus Duvenhage, a life sciences teacher at Capricorn High School.

Duvenhage has been a teacher for 29 years.

He says he is passionate about teaching and sees it more as a calling than a career. His passion has overlapped to his wife and one of his three children who followed in his footsteps and joined the education field.

“We relate so well at home because we speak ‘education’. We assist each other to better our methods and improve the lives of our learners. It is important to love what you do and not just do it for the money,” he says.

Duvenhage joined Capricorn High school 11 years ago and has been a hostel father for most of his teaching career.

He is also an operational officer, part of the valedictory parade, part of the matric board and leads the fundraisers for the charity team.

The challenging part about his job is the learners who lack discipline and commitment.

“Some learners don’t know why they go to school and some do not take pride in their own individuality, they waste time trying to look like someone else instead of concentrating on their education.”

His famous quote learners always remember him for is: “It is not how you start but how you end, you can fail now but pass tomorrow.”