One of the interesting sides to working as an education journalist is that there is hardly anything that is not of relevance to my beat. From a hoola-hooping contest to national budgets or the onset of war in distant lands, everything has either relevance to, or influence on, the processes of learning and teaching. The […]
Themba Mbonani (August 1971 – 22 May 2003) was a talented photographer whose creativity often graced the pages of the Teacher. He battled against the odds that come with being uneducated and from an impoverished background to pursue his passion for images. Themba tested positive for HIV/Aids in 2002, and it became his fervent wish […]
The written word is going through a tough time in Africa these days. Besides the daunting levels of illiteracy in the continent, many of the millions who know how to read simply don’t bother. But there is a rich history of literature in the continent that’s worth remembering. The Malian city of Timbuktu is one […]
If you intend to sample as many of life’s adventures as you can and still have time to change the world – at least a little – then you’re going to have to live to be at least 102. Margaret Byrd Rawson (1899 – 2001) from the United States began her career as a teacher […]
What does a lexicographer do? I write dictionaries. I’ve been doing this for the past 20 years or so and written six or seven of them. What does this involve? There are two approaches. The one is to take work that’s already been written and work it into a new dictionary. But what we do […]
Escalating violence between Israel and Palestine prompted a strong response from leaders of South African education last month. A message of solidarity to the people of Palestine was signed by Minister of Eduction Kader Asmal, his deputy Mosibudi Mangena, and other high-ranking officials, including seven of the provincial MECs. The two MECs who declined to […]
Newly qualified teachers, and those coming back into the profession after a break in service, may be compelled to teach in rural or disadvantaged schools, if proposed changes to education laws go through. These proposed amendments to the Employment of Educators Act were released for public comment last month and have drawn criticism from teacher […]
The gloves are off in the clash between the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) and the ANC-aligned student organisation, the Congress of South African Students (Cosas). This follows an illegal march organised by Cosas through the streets of Johannesburg. Besides facing charges relating to holding an illegal march, Cosas may also face other criminal charges. […]
The South African Certification Council (Safcert) is on its way out: there’s a new engine ready to drive the yearly Senior Certificate (SC) system, and its name is Umalusi. Peliwe Lolwana, chief executive oficer for Safcert, describes the new organisation as the ”guardian” of standards for the general and further education sectors, which includes schools, […]
It’s not new, but getting louder: the Department of Education’s maddening mantra about improving maths and science, M & S, M & S — There are more awards than I can count for maths and science teachers – but what about the ones for outstanding history, geography and life-orientation teachers? And, of course, there’s the […]