While learners at Volkskool Orania receive an education for the 21st century, they’re also taught a philosophy tied to the racial divisions of the past. LEARNERS at Volkskool Orania seem to embody two contradictory forces: that of the future, with their extremely modern schooling system; and that of the distant past, with an exclusively all-white […]

Should Shakespeare retain his hallowed place in our curriculum? ”MARRY, before he fell down, when he perceived the common herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope his doublet and offered them his throat to cut.” Pardon, Shakespeare? Did someone who’s getting married fall down among the cows? What exactly is going […]

Bryanston High school has much soul-searching to do in the wake of a brutal incident that has highlighted racial tensions at the school. THE holidays came just in time for the rattled Bryanston High school community, but there is more work than usual waiting for everyone when they return next term. The soul-searching that the […]

The oldest culture in Southern Africa faces huge changes if it’s to survive LOOKING like odd anthills, the hundreds of dark brown army tents set up between the scraps of bush and vast stretches of dusty nothing add to the outlandish appearance of this harsh Northern Cape area. This is a tent-town called Schmidtsdrift. It […]

Crucial changes are planned for the 2001 matric exams BOTH long-standing education issues and more recent natural and man-made disasters occupied the attention of top education authorities at this month’s Council of Education Ministers. The meeting was attended by Minister of Education Kader Asmal, all nine provincial MECs for education, and other senior education officials. […]

Proposed labour law changes will affect teachers negatively AN array of amendments to existing legislation on labour relations has recently been proposed by government — which, should they be passed, will have a significant impact on the working conditions and rights of teachers. The amendments range from those governing labour relations generally, to others which […]

THE Mpumalanga Department of Education is once again mired in controversy, with the head of department fired for suspected involvement in falsely inflating the 1998 matric results being awarded a R2,6-million settlement by the high court. Former head of department Faith Sithole earlier this year launched an urgent application to have her dismissal declared unlawful. […]

A new diversity directorate is set to look at values and difference A RECENT incident at a school in Gauteng has once again brought the challenges of managing diversity in our schools back under the spotlight. What really transpired between two students at Sutherland High school near Pretoria last month is far from clear. Even […]

The curriculum is likely to be marked by changes for some time THE period of transition from the dreaded apartheid-based form of education to a curriculum that complements and nutures our new era of democracy is due to continue for some time to come. Linda Chisholm, who headed up the Curriculum 2005 review committee,does not […]

An internal tribunal has found two education officials guilty of inflating the 1998 matric results by over 20% THE investigation into the massive irregularities of the Mpumalanga 1998 matric results are finally bearing fruit. Two provincial Department of Education officials, Kate Mokoene and Gogo Ndlovana, finally attended an internal tribunal into their alleged involvement in […]