TEACHERS at Northern Province schools have blamed increasing class disruptions and violence on an ineffective education department. Riots and boycotts have been reported at about four schools in the province in the past two weeks for reasons ranging from wanting a refund of school fees to wanting teachers dismissed. Provincial spokesman for the South African […]
AS the HIV/Aids pandemic continues its rampant path through the social structures of South Africa, the system of higher education in the country faces complete decimation. This warning was issued by Michael Gibbons, secretary-general of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. Gibbons was addressing an Aids seminar at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Durban […]
A SCHOOL wall collapsed onto an eight-year-old Mpumalanga pupil on Tuesday afternoon, fracturing his skull and breaking several ribs. The 2m wall fell on Elken Siburi as pupils filed out of Tshweni Primary School, 20km from White River, after watching a movie. He was transferred to a hospital in Pretoria for specialised treatment, and is […]
A GROUP of angry Mpumalanga pupils ran riot on Monday and stoned teachers’ cars in protest against corporal punishment. Police arrested over 60 pupils from Sozama Secondary School at Mhluzi near Middelburg who also disrupted classes in the township’s other two schools, said police spokesman Captain Malcolm Mokomeni. He said the pupils were charged with […]
The findings of a report on language use in the classroom provide valuable tips for teachers. What is ‘language’? How is language acquired and what role does it play in learning across the curriculum, in various teaching and learning contexts? In the classroom, how do we think about “multilingualism”? What are some of the challenges […]
Part 9: Your representatives in Parliament Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected to represent the people. Part of their work as public representatives is done inside Parliament and part of it is done directly with citizens during constituency weeks. MPs represent all of us, even those who did not vote in the last elections. Parliament’s […]
How a law is made Arrange learners to work into groups to do the following. Prepare a card or pieces of paper for each step in the flowchart which describes the lawmaking process. Each card or paper has the name of one step written on it. Arrange the cards into the sequence that is illustrated […]
The National Council of Provinces Unlike the National Assembly, the members of the NCOP are not elected directly by voters. Voters in each province elect the provincial legislatures, and the legislatures elect the permanent members of the NCOP. Hold a mock mini-election for the provincial legislature of your province in the class, asking learners to […]
An article by Stephen Castle, published recently in the <i>Sunday Independent</i>, revealed some of the horror that marks the brute-regime of Saparmurat Niyazov, the archetypical "president-for-life" of Turkmenistan. The country regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, only for its people to find themselves under a more obdurate master.
Part 8: Committees in Parliament Most of the work of Parliament is done by committees. Committees are the places where members of the public can express their opinions directly and try to influence the outcome of Parliament’s decisions. Committee meetings are open to the public, although they may be closed for very good reasons. Parliament […]