Biography of Dr. Phumzile Langa
Director: Rural Education at the National Department of Basic Education
About Dr. Phumzile Langa:
Dr Phumzile Langa is a Director for Rural Education at the National Department of Basic Education (DBE). She has 30 years of work experience in the education sector. Her qualifications include a BAEd, BEd (Hon), PGCSocSc, and MEd (Curriculum Studies). In 2009 she was granted a Mellon Foundation scholarship to pursue a PhD study titled ‘Exploring School Underperformance in the Context of Rurality’. In 2015, an opportunity presented itself for her to establish a Rural Education directorate, a directorate which she has been at the helm since. Her Directorate collaborates with national and international stakeholders to implement research and evidence-based initiatives. Her two major research contributions include using action research to develop a National Framework for Rural Education; and conducting qualitative research on the Rural Education Assistants Project and producing a research report titled Towards a Framework for Effective Deployment of Education Assistants in South African Rural Schools. She is a strong advocate for foundational skills development, this has seen her directorate supporting multi-grade teaching schools; and implementing projects that are aimed at improving literacy (including reading), numeracy and digital skills in primary schools. She is the Chairperson of the Inter-Provincial Rural Education Committee, a forum where the DBE and Provincial Departments officials make great efforts to improve the quality of education, and subsequently learner performance, in rural schools including farm and multi-grade teaching schools. She serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Centre for the Study of Resilience at the Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria.