Creator
Sean Oconnor
Guest Author
Who wants to be a teacher?
The low status of teaching has caused student enrolments to plummet. THE status of teaching is at its lowest point in years. Redeployment and the confusion around Curriculum 2005…
Talk to the library
Communication between schools and libraries is a massive stumbling block. ”GO get information from the library” is a phrase students commonly hear from their teachers. ”And…
Book Reviews – Making sense of Shakespeare
SEAN O’CONNOR reviews four annotated Shakespeare series designed specifically for schools, including Macmillan Communicative Shakespeare developed by the Institute for the Study…
Kicking out the criminals
The safe schools program aims to reclaim schools from gangsters IN 1997, a standard 8 pupil named Howard McKenzie become the 20th victim of a bitter gang war in Gugulethu. Howard…
The advantages of sharing
The divide between the haves and the have-nots is as wide as ever, but many of the better-off schools are reaching out to help OUTREACH programmes are often perceived as one-way…
Uneven strike action
PARTICIPATION in today’s general strike by members of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), has been ”uneven”, according to Education Minister Kader Asmal’s…
Strike action set to hit schools
THOUSANDS of South African teachers are poised to heed Cosatu’s call to go on a 24-hour general strike tomorrow. South African Democratic Teacher’s Union (SADTU) media…
A little oasis on the Flats
Important information gathering skills can be learnt outside school THE Valhalla Park public library near Elsies River in the Cape Flats serves an estimated 16 000 people. Like…
Making room for all
SEAN O’CONNOR reviews Learners with Special Needs by Jennifer Gous and Lungelwa Mfazwe (Heinemann, R 36,50) SOUTH Africans continue to feel the effects of an inefficient,…
Working the System
Efforts to promote maths and science have not been wholly successful. AFTER the failure of a key initiative to improve maths and science performances, the search for the winning…
Keep it short, simple and dramatic
Nigel Bakker teaches English methodology at the University of Cape Town’s School of Education. and is editor of Maskew Miller Longman’s new Active Shakespeare series. He spoke to…
Libraries for the people
Library week focuses attention on making librarians more proactive ”MUSIC is my downfall,” says Elizabeth Watson, shaking her head. She allows herself a smile. ”Would you believe…
What’s really happening in the playground?
Important developments of a different kind are taking place outside the classroom, writes Sean O’Connor What games did you play as a child? My father describes a schoolboy game…
The battle for checkmate
Gone are the days when only nerds played chess. The game requires cunning and mastery and appeals to a wide range of players, writes Sean O’Connor Chess is a ruthless game, yet…
Wanted! Someone committed to school sport
Learners lose out as school sport gets caught up in politics, writes Sean O’Connor Sport presents a host of developmental, social and other opportunities, especially since the…