Suzan Chala
Suzan Chala works from Jhb, Gauteng, SA. Editor of Sowetan Education, MSK and Matric Q&A. Former journalist: M&G. Love life and all its ups and downs
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/ 22 April 2005

Multiplying knowledge Jul 22, 2003 By: Suzan Chala The Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) and Oracle are helping disadvantaged learners solve for “x” in their newly established mathematics school. Three hundred and sixty youngsters from grades 9 to 1

The Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) and Oracle are helping disadvantaged learners solve for ‘x” in their newly established mathematics school. Three hundred and sixty youngsters from grades 9 to 11 no longer wander the streets on Saturday mornings, and RAU tutors are getting down to the business of science, mathematics and technology with them. The […]

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/ 22 April 2005

Quality comes under the microscope

While private providers of higher education have proven themselves to be especially strong in areas like design and film studies, many of them still have to walk a mile before they can match the quality offered at public institutions. A report on The state of private higher education provision in South Africa by the Council […]

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/ 22 April 2005

Weeding out the rubbish

Some private higher institutions exaggerate their strengths and do not mention their weaknesses in the hope of being accredited. This is one thing that Derrick Zitha, a Council on Higher Education (CHE) project administrator in the HEQC division, has learnt by comparing what’s written on the application to the reality during site visits. Zitha recalls […]

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/ 22 April 2005

Multiplying knowledge Jul 22, 2003 By: Suzan Chala The Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) and Oracle are helping disadvantaged learners solve for “x” in their newly established mathematics school. Three hundred and sixty youngsters from grades 9 to 1

The Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) and Oracle are helping disadvantaged learners solve for ‘x” in their newly established mathematics school. Three hundred and sixty youngsters from grades 9 to 11 no longer wander the streets on Saturday mornings, and RAU tutors are getting down to the business of science, mathematics and technology with them. The […]

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/ 21 April 2005

United we grow stronger

Education is widely acknowledged as a key element in alleviating poverty. It is also important, especially in developing countries, to advance the democratic transformation of society. As Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni put it, ‘It [education] expands abilities and opportunities. It is a great freedom in itself, and opens the doors to other freedoms.” The […]

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/ 21 April 2005

The ancestors won’t let her go to school

Twelve-year-old Noluthando Mahlathi-Zikalala is one of them. She introduces herself as Xebisa, ‘my ancestral name”. Although she looks 10, she behaves nothing like a usual child. She spends her time with a woman in her twenties whom she trains as a sangoma. When she’s not treating patients, she spends her time beading bracelets as she […]

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/ 21 April 2005

A second chance and a real future

Clayton Sherry was having a jol with his friends, smoking dagga and sniffing glue at their usual corner, when suddenly a police van stopped in front of them. Fearing arrest, they fled in different directions, but the uniformed men caught up with them. This was the day that Clayton’s life changed forever. It was the […]

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/ 21 April 2005

Lessons in hunger and shame

Political tempers are rising as the Democratic Alliance (DA) adds its criticism against the Department of Education’s (DoE) proposed changes to education laws. The Education Amendment Bill was released for comment in May, and was under discussion in Parliament last month. The underlying implication of several of the proposed amendments, says DA education spokesperson in […]

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/ 21 April 2005

A fresh look at ‘teacher shortages’

Recent predictions of a shortage of educators are to be reviewed by a newly appointed ministerial committee. The committee on teacher education was appointed ‘to develop a National Framework for Teacher Education, which aims to develop coherence around existing policies and strategies to sustain a continuing professional development culture among teachers,” says Michael Samuel from […]

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/ 21 April 2005

Children are doing it for themselves

School principal Jackson Hadebe says he has about 60 orphans at his school. ‘Most of them are children whose parents died either of Aids-related diseases or just natural deaths, while others are children whose parents left to look for work in Johannesburg and haven’t returned since,” he says. Hadebe says some of these orphans have […]