Head of Discipline
Ass. Prof Angela James
Head of Discipline
Tel: 031-260-3438
Email: jamesal@ukzn.ac.za
Sub Discipline Coordinator
Ass. Prof Thungavel (Roy) Venketsamy
Sub Discipline Coordinator
Tel: 012-260-3165
Email: Venketsamyt@ukzn.ac.za
Meet our Academics
About the Discipline
The Discipline of Early Childhood Education (ECE) has the primary purpose of providing a holistic, contextually relevant education that challenges, inspires, and engages graduates with the required disciplinary knowledge, educational theory, and methodology. This knowledge will enable pre-service teachers to demonstrate competence and responsibility, as academically and professionally qualified Foundation Phase teachers.
The two integrated subdisciplines are:
Foundation Phase (FP)
The Foundation Phase (Grades R-3) subdiscipline is a specialised, high-stakes stage of education that aims to transform pre-service teachers into confident, knowledgeable, and ethical Foundation Phase specialists. The programme aims to produce graduates who are responsive leaders, capable of navigating the complexities of South African classrooms with confidence and precision. By prioritising evidence-based teaching and professional integrity, the FP sub-discipline ensures that teachers can effectively bridge the transition from early childhood to formal primary schooling, securing the vital foundations of literacy, numeracy, and life skills.
(Dr Jabulile Mzimela mzimelaj@ukzn.ac.za; Dr Makie Kortjass KortjassM@ukzn.ac.za; Dr Sinenhlanhla Mbambo-Mkhwanazi MbamboMkhwanaziS@ukzn.ac.za; Mrs Sibusisiwe Ndinisa NdinisaS@ukzn.ac.za) (Dr Ashnie Mahadew mahadewa@ukzn.ac.za; Dr Zanele Zama zamaz@ukzn.ac.za)
Module Coordinators
Name of Lecturer and Role | Sem 1 | Sem 2 | Modules – Coordinating |
Dr Makie Kortjass | X |
X
X | EDPY324 Mathematics for Foundation Phase Method 1 EDPY410 Mathematics for Foundation Phase Method 2 EDPY110 Numeracy in the Early Years (1/2) |
Dr Ashnie Mahadew
| X
X |
X | EDPY 205 isiZulu Literacy Method 1 – Home Language (English) EDPY 202 Understanding Child Development and Learning in the Foundation Phase EDPY 412 Life Skills Method 2 |
Dr Jabulile Mzimela
| X |
X X | EDPY 205 isiZulu Literacy Method 1 – Home Language (isiZulu) EDPY 206 isiZulu Literacy Method 2 Home Language EDPY 411 Life Skills 3 |
Prof Roy Venketsamy
Coordinator of Foundation Phase | X X |
X | EDPY 201 Life Skills 1 EDPY 323 Life Skills Method 1 EDPY 325 Contextual Realities (1/2 – AJ) |
Dr Zanele Zama | X |
X
X | EDPY203 English Literacy Method 1 First Additional Language (FAL) EDPY204 English Literacy Method 2 First Additional Language (FAL) EDPY110 Numeracy in the Early Years (1/2) |
Dr Sinenhlanhla Mbambo-Mkhwanazi | X |
X X | EDES311 Education Studies 4 EDPY710 Life Skills Education EDPY714 Introduction to Inclusive Education |
Ms Sibusisiwe Ndinisa | X X
|
| EDES311 Education Studies 4 EDPY701 Human Development and Learning |
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