Teacher’s Dream

Teacher’s Dream was an initiative led by the Shuttleworth Foundation in partnership with the SA Council of Educators and Greater Good SA that aims to provide a dedicated and focused channel for funding that was used to improve the state of education in South Africa.

By using the Internet as a platform, Teacher’s Dream is able to drive transparency and accountability into the funding process and provide an easy way for funding to be provided from anywhere in the world.

The website also provides the education community with a central and inclusive resource that can be accessed from anywhere. This is particularly important in the South African context where the schools and educators who stand to benefit most strongly from such an initiative are based in rural areas.

The project provides an easy way for concerned individuals, organisations and enterprises to assist South African schools in accessing much-needed resources, enhancing the educational experiences of their learners.

The website also provides an information resource for best practices in teaching of everything from Maths and Science to basic life skills, allowing educators to collaborate and learn from each other in meeting the unique challenges that face education in South Africa.

Teachers post proposals to the website with explanations of what they intend to do with funding. Potential donors can then browse these proposals on the website and contribute to these ‘Teacher’s Dreams’.

The initiative is endorsed by the South African government’s education department and has received special attention and praise from minister Naledi Pandor who has proposed the adoption of legislation that supports disadvantaged schools in South Africa.