Having a supportive family member cheering for you in the audience at graduation is very special. However, one mom-and-daughter duo will be supporting each other side by side when they get capped today in the historic Jakes Gerwel Hall.
27 years
Yolanda and Rouelle Maarman will graduate from the University of the Western Cape (UWC). For Yolanda, this marks the completion of her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Management, 27 years after earning her BEd Honours degree. For her daughter Rouelle, it’s the beginning of a new legacy in the Maarman family as she will be the first grandchild to graduate with a BA degree. Yolanda is currently a doctoral student, while Rouelle is enrolled for the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) to qualify as a teacher.
Yolanda investigated the lived experiences of Heads of Departments (HODs) at schools. She contributed to a training programme for HODs to integrate the Professional Teaching Standards of the South African Council of Educators into their prescribed curriculum roles in schools. Her experience as a longstanding HOD prompted her to pursue the professionalisation of HODs through a scientific study, to enhance the professional standing of the teaching profession, and to take curriculum leadership to new heights in schools. She said: “Now my doctoral study aims to investigate how school governance can be professionalised through the building of the educational agency of parents serving on school governing bodies.”
Dedication
Mother and daughter thanked their supervisors and lecturers in the faculties of Education and Arts and Humanities, respectively, for their dedication to UWC’s academic project. Adding to the significance of the day, they will be invested by Prof Rouaan Maarman – Yolanda’s husband and Rouelle’s father. He is the Deputy Dean for Research and Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Education.
This makes the ceremony not only a celebration of academic achievement, but also a profound family milestone, symbolising a legacy in education and a shared triumph for the Maarman family. Prof Maarman said: “The Jakes Gerwel Hall possesses a spirit of triumph, given the political liberatory events I participated in as a student in that hall, and I regard each graduation ceremony of UWC as a legacy continuation of those proud political phases of UWC.”
Education, for the Maarman family, is not just a qualification; it is a cornerstone of identity, a pathway to opportunity and a gift passed from one generation to the next. It represents sacrifice, perseverance and the belief that knowledge can transform lives. This family is driven by a deep sense of service to others and the belief that their achievements find meaning and significance in reaching out to those around them. Yolanda and Rouelle will share this special day with family from the Eastern Cape, and will celebrate it thanks to the previous generation who paved the way for access to education through their sacrifices and ambitions to achieve beyond their circumstances.
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