Read - News

Mobile Books the South African way

adrian wales — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Click here to read more on Steve Vosloo and his approach to mobile literacy.

Basic Education in crisis

adrian wales — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Too many teachers can’t pass the tests they set for their own pupils.

FET sector is the class dunce

adrian wales — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Dismal pass rates were recorded in the further education and training (FET) colleges sector last year, with the lowest rates achieved in maths and science, the Mail & Guardian can reveal.

Arresting the accelerating decline of education in SA

adrian wales — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Khehla Shubane vs RW Johnson Bill The government’s performance in education, especially as it relates to African children, is no different from that of past successive white governments. It is a disgrace that a generation of African children whose schooling started after the demise of apartheid has no better educational achievements to show than individuals educated under apartheid.

‘School system a timebomb’

adrian wales — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The number of Western Cape schools in crisis and requiring a rescue plan has risen 15 percent from 74 to 85, education MEC Donald Grant revealed on Thursday.

Matric results a wake-up call for SA

adrian wales — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The 2009 matric results indicated there were problems throughout the education system, according to experts in the field.

Plan to make education a profitable enterprise

adrian wales — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

BUSINESSMAN-turned- academic Bheki Sibiya wants the University of the Witwatersrand’s business school to turn a profit, even though traditionally universities do not do so. “I would struggle with a business school that makes (financial) losses ... we need to produce a profit, even though we may call it a ‘surplus’ in our books,” says Sibiya, who remains Brait SA chairman until the end of March.

Test results a 'scandal'

adrian wales — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A confidential education department report has highlighted the spectacular failure of a high-level campaign to boost the performance of grade three and six learners in maths and literacy.

An ideal childhood

adrian wales — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Allow me to recreate my childhood. Great lullabies, peaceful songs and excitement for my day ahead.

Province probed for exam cheating

adrian wales — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Report should tell minister why Mpumalanga is the source of chronic matric leaks

Nine arrested for leaking matric exam papers get bail

adrian wales — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Nine people accused of leaking matric exam papers were released on bail by the Nelspruit Magistrates's court yesterday, police said.

We've signed OBE's death certificate; Motshekga

adrian wales — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, on curriculum review process, National Assembly, November 5 2009.

Tutu weaves a dream for SA children in new book

adrian wales — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Nobel laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was to release a children's book, titled God's Dream , today, which is also his 78th birthday.

Child education gets big push

adrian wales — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

President Jacob Zuma has joined heads of state from around the world to sign his name to a campaign that promises to get every child in the world into a classroom.

Pandor: Literacy, numeracy levels too low

adrian wales — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Numeracy and literacy levels among Grade 3 schoolchildren was unacceptably low, Education Minister naledi Pandor said on Tuesday.

Education is expensive - but try ignorance

adrian wales — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It has taken the idealism of youth, in this case the Young Communist League to reignite the debate. They certainly have a point.

DA proposes reform of tertiary education system

adrian wales — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A whole new structure for the higher education sector - research universities, technical universities and further education and training colleges - is proposed by the Democratic Alliance in a position paper launched today.

World Literacy Day reintroduces serials

adrian wales — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

PARIS, FRANCE & DAMRSTADT, GERMANY: The World Assocaition of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) is providing the world's newspapers with an eight-part serialised story for publication around International Literacy Day, today, Tuesday, 8 September 2009, to help parents and teachers instil a love of reading in young people.

World Literacy Day reintroduces serials

adrian wales — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Abolition of school transport under fire

adrian wales — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A decision to cancel school transport routes, mostly for pupils in rural Free State areas, was heavily criticised by the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (Fedsas) yesterday.

Teacher shoots deputy principal

adrian wales — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Two teachers were killed in a shooting incident at the Gimnasium High School in Welkom on Monday, Free State police said.

Motshekga pledges textbooks for all in 60% of schools

adrian wales — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Presidency and the Department of Basic Education have undertaken to provide 60% of all learners in no-fee schools with textbooks and other learning materials at the start of next year, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said yesterday.

Not universities job to make up for basic education failures

adrian wales — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I taught at the university of the Western Cape for 20 years and sat on other university committees and a university council for nine years. Over the years I saw the results of a deteriorating basic education system, releasing to the universities more and more students that were not ready for higher education.

A better education, a better future

adrian wales — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There have been a number of reports in the media recently regarding the preparedness of our youth to study at a higher education level.

Education Faces Test

adrian wales — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In 1995 Wade Roush published an interesting article entitled "Arguing over Why Johnny Can't Read".

Children on social grants more likely to go to school

adrian wales — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In need: Statistics SA says there is a correlation between lack of access to basic services and households requiring grants.

Zille: Schools to blame for educational failures

adrian wales — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

S outh Africa's collapsing school system is placing the nation at risk, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, Helen Zille said in her weekly newsletter on Friday.

Zuma to address school principals

adrian wales — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

President Jacob Zuma will address 1500 school principals from across the country on August 7 to share government's vision of turning the country's 27 000 schools into "thriving centres of excellence".

N1H1 No need to close schools

adrian wales — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

South African health authorities insisted on Monday that there was no need to close schools in the wake of the H1N1 - or swine flu - pandemic.

Manage Higher Education Brain Drain

adrian wales — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The internationalisation of higher education must be managed to help African countries avert a brain drain, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said on Wednesday. “Far too many students are leaving their home countries to study elsewhere,” Nzimande said in a speech prepared for delivery at the 2009 World Conference on Higher Education in Paris.

Learners discover the sciences

adrian wales — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The City's library and information services joined forces with the Johannebsurg Planetarium and Ivory Park Secondary School to bring the wonders of astronomy, maths, science and technology to learners.

Nzimande moots education changes

adrian wales — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Cape Town - The current matric exemption system should be revised because it deprived students with academic potential of a university education, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said on Tuesday. Nzimande told reporters the exemption rate of 18% of South Africa's matriculants was too low to be accepted as an accurate reflection of their abilities.

Lessons in life and the power of inclusiveness