Cornia Pretorius
Guest Author
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/ 15 October 2007

Student fees under fire

A special task team representing South African universities is expected to report to Education Minister Naledi Pandor early next year about the feasibility of government regulation of tuition fees. The task team was set up under the auspices of Higher Education South Africa, which represents all universities, following a request by Pandor earlier this year that the sector consider whether fees should have a ceiling or be determined within certain parameters.

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/ 3 October 2007

Two big deals

The all-things-to-all-people BEE codes are resulting in deals that aim to do all things for all people. Take the two über-deals announced in September: Anglo Platinum and Sasol. Both are geared to bring on board leading business people, empower inside the company and benefit grassroots communities. Both also include employee share ownership schemes as part of the effort to ensure that those who build a company’s wealth benefit.

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/ 18 September 2007

Lead me into temptation and I will write

Growing up in the NG Kerk (Dutch Reformed Church) some of us have come to believe that dominees (ministers) come in prototypes. After years of careful observation from the benches of NG Kerk places of worship, all ministers appear to be moulded during their extended theology education to sport the same look and project the same sound.

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/ 31 August 2007

An ABC plan to reach XYZ

For the first time since 1994 the government has rolled out a comprehensive literacy plan and campaign, which will enable millions of people to write their names, tell the time and understand the instructions on medicine bottles. This follows Cabinet’s approval of a R6,1-billion literacy campaign, which is poised to make far-reaching inroads into South Africa’s skills deficit.

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/ 1 August 2007

Principals go back to school

The first group of 400 school principals has been enrolled for the South African National Professional Qualification for Principals. This is part of an initiative by the department of education to professionalise principalships and reclaim the status once attached to the position.

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/ 17 July 2007

More researchers on the cards

The National Research Foundation (NRF) is investigating ways to increase significantly the monetary values of annual grants for honours, masters and doctoral students as part of its plan to produce more researchers. Professor Mzamo Mangaliso, president and chief executive of the NRF, told Higher Learning that the allocations to honours and masters students, in particular, “were woefully inadequate”.