As with most government initiatives, top-down reforms in the education sector tend to be slow-moving and difficult to adapt, no matter how cleverly designed and workable they appear
Teacher training programmes need to cultivate a social consciousness to transform a system that abjects black learners
Human Rights Watch warns that learners may take years to recover from the damage caused by school closures
Schooling is stuck in the 1950s, but technology must be blended with the basics of education
Losing an academic year is untenable, but a return to class must be safe and all learners must benefit
It may well be that we have warm bodies in schools, but to think their minds are highly productive is a reach
COMMENT As the department of basic education struggles with when and how to reopen schools, we must remember that most of the world is equally at a loss. Almost all children in almost every country will have been directly affected by school closures. We can learn from other countries’ decisions in navigating this crisis, as […]
Evidence shows schools are not ready as the department pushes them to reopen in 10 days
We summarise the legal battles fought to improve the quality of education in South Africa.
Policymakers and pundits, however, must ensure novel solutions do not exacerbate the inequalities of the South African education system
Our final freedom is the choice we make in our attitude to difficult circumstances — as the stories of 16 exceptional teachers show
The government, business, labour and civil society must work together to link potential employees to productive and decent jobs
These include improving teachers’ knowledge and pay, and teaching in the mother tongue
Despite a court order, the education system is failing learners who do not have documents, both those born here and those from other countries
Ignore the language used in brochures and on open days and be vigilant about the details
Universities have an ethical duty to cultivate safe and inclusive spaces of recognition and respect
Googling means students don’t have to memorise things, but knowledge is crucial for critical thinking
The influx of foreign capital into emerging markets can create a boom-bust cycle
Connect the people affected by problems so that they can pool information and tackle the causes
A recent study revealed that indigenous people see the introduction of formal education as having brought ill-health
With their submissions to the commission of inquiry into state capture, two civil society groups have set out to root out corruption in education
A love must be instilled at school for the STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and maths — and digital literacy
A second-class system for the majority poor population entrenches social and economic inequality
There are some success stories, but South Africa’s education system is still a failure for far too many people, argues Tinyiko Maluleke.
Opportunities for investment, growth and poverty reduction hinge on Infrastructure development, education and skills development and agriculture.
A replication of our social system, education must become a social concern. Simple things like music and reading will change children’s lives.
Progressing learners through grade 11 won’t solve education’s plight – improved leadership, teaching ability and accountability are also crucial.
The education system continues to entrench elite advantage while the poor stay stuck on lower tiers.
The Rhodes Trust tries to mollify criticism of Cecil John Rhodes’s legacy while not offending its wealthy alumni and other donors.
SA’s focus on the matric exam results obscures the fact that pupils in earlier grades lack fundamental skills.
Government is sweeping under the carpet the core reasons for dysfunctional schooling.
Rebuilding education will have to be incremental and all will have to help.