Nondwe Daphne Mtshatsha, who was awarded her PhD in education at Walter Sisulu University this week, has vowed to use her expertise and knowledge to advocate and assist the department of education with the consumer studies subject.
Mtshatsha is a lecturer at the university.
The 64-year-old’s thesis, titled “Positioning Consumer Studies to Enhance Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition in selected Eastern Cape Secondary Schools”, provides insights on the important role that consumer studies could have on students’ self-sufficiency and economic growth.
She said this subject opened doors for pupils to be able to start their own small businesses right after high school and provided a wide range of information to inform consumers on food, clothing and entrepreneurial skills.
Her work reflects that the subject can encourage secondary school pupils in the Eastern Cape to acquire entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, which would ultimately lead to the creation of jobs and economic expansion including the start of small businesses.
“For consumer studies, it is one of the practical subjects that has a practical element.
“My concern is that it seems as if it is not making the impact that it is supposed to be making with the necessary competencies required,” Mtshatsha said.
“The significance of my studies can be adopted to influence policymakers and implementers who are teachers.
“My plan is to write proposals and engage with the private sector and the education department.
“There is a need for practical subjects such as this one, hence they are being offered and they need to support their piloting with districts and selected schools.”
Mtshatsha said there was a need for collaboration with key stakeholders to protect practical subjects if they wanted them to have the required impact.
She said many pupils who had taken the subject had found success in business.
“We want these subjects to create such opportunities. The knowledge and skills that they receive from their schooling career is for learners to be able to make a living for themselves,” Mtshatsha said.
Mtshatsha also holds a Senior Home Economics Teachers’ Certificate from Cicira Teachers Training College, a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the former University of Transkei, an Honours in Education from Unisa, a Bachelor of Consumer Science from the University of Pretoria, and a Master of Education from Walter Sisulu University.
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