Education System

/ 13 November 2021

Successful education reform requires a bottom-up approach

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

By Miroslav Beblavý and Soňa Muzikárová

Opinion

/ 14 June 2021

Black learners can no longer be subjected to the colonial and apartheid mentality

Teacher training programmes need to cultivate a social consciousness to transform a system that abjects black learners

By Siseko Kumalo

Education

/ 18 May 2021

Pandemic leaves 1.4bn learners worldwide behind on education

Human Rights Watch warns that learners may take years to recover from the damage caused by school closures

By Bongekile Macupe

Coronavirus

/ 2 August 2020

Miss Rona’s teaching the 4IR lessons

Schooling is stuck in the 1950s, but technology must be blended with the basics of education

By Colleen Millar

Education

/ 16 July 2020

Catch-2020: Schools at risk, open or closed

Losing an academic year is untenable, but a return to class must be safe and all learners must benefit

By Zahraa McDonald

Coronavirus

/ 1 July 2020

We can’t expect learners and teachers to function optimally right now

It may well be that we have warm bodies in schools, but to think their minds are highly productive is a reach

By Bongekile Macupe

Coronavirus

/ 21 May 2020

Five lessons on reopening SA’s schools

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 […]

By David Jeffery and Shrochis Karki

Coronavirus

/ 21 May 2020

Education: A state of unreadiness

Evidence shows schools are not ready as the department pushes them to reopen in 10 days

By Bongekile Macupe

Article

/ 30 April 2020

Summing up the legal battles fought for better schools

We summarise the legal battles fought to improve the quality of education in South Africa.

By Franny Rabkin

Article

/ 5 April 2020

Covid-19: An opportunity to reform the educational landscape

Policymakers and pundits, however, must ensure novel solutions do not exacerbate the inequalities of the South African education system

By Nicola Vermooten

Article

/ 11 March 2020

Can-do people achieve despite the odds

Our final freedom is the choice we make in our attitude to difficult circumstances — as the stories of 16 exceptional teachers show

By Kimon Phitidis

Article

/ 28 February 2020

Building human capital for the fourth industrial revolution

The government, business, labour and civil society must work together to link potential employees to productive and decent jobs

By Tshilidzi Marwala

Article

/ 31 January 2020

Five changes that can fix the school system

These include improving teachers’ knowledge and pay, and teaching in the mother tongue

By Mamphela Ramphele

Article

/ 31 January 2020

Education system fails undocumented learners

Despite a court order, the education system is failing learners who do not have documents, both those born here and those from other countries

By Bongekile Macupe

Article

/ 23 January 2020

We need to ask awkward questions about our schools

Ignore the language used in brochures and on open days and be vigilant about the details

By Eusebius McKaiser

Article

/ 6 December 2019

Citizenship can’t be taught in a module

Universities have an ethical duty to cultivate safe and inclusive spaces of recognition and respect

By Nuraan Davids

Article

/ 8 November 2019

Prune curricula to promote new learning

Googling means students don’t have to memorise things, but knowledge is crucial for critical thinking

By Sarah Gravett

Article

/ 4 October 2019

The ills of financial globalisation

The influx of foreign capital into emerging markets can create a boom-bust cycle

By Arvind Subramanian and Dani Rodrik

Article

/ 6 September 2019

Collective action brings about change

Connect the people affected by problems so that they can pool information and tackle the causes

By Ncedisa Nkonyeni

Article

/ 23 August 2019

Include indigenous knowledge and cultures in the curriculum to improve health

A recent study revealed that indigenous people see the introduction of formal education as having brought ill-health

By Lieketseng Ned

Article

/ 16 August 2019

The struggle to uncapture the classroom

With their submissions to the commission of inquiry into state capture, two civil society groups have set out to root out corruption in education

By Bongekile Macupe

Article

/ 25 June 2019

Youth need skills for the fourth industrial revolution

A love must be instilled at school for the STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and maths — and digital literacy

By Onyi Nwaneri

Article

/ 23 November 2018

Basic education is failing the economy

A second-class system for the majority poor population entrenches social and economic inequality

By Sabelo Mtantato

Article

/ 22 April 2016

How Malema and others rose above a system that failed them

There are some success stories, but South Africa’s education system is still a failure for far too many people, argues Tinyiko Maluleke.

By Staff Reporter

Africa

/ 14 April 2016

Africa’s economic slowdown an opportunity for reform

Opportunities for investment, growth and poverty reduction hinge on Infrastructure development, education and skills development and agriculture.

By Staff Reporter

Article

/ 16 March 2016

Education must become a social concern

A replication of our social system, education must become a social concern. Simple things like music and reading will change children’s lives.

By Clive W Kronenberg

Article

/ 16 March 2016

Education system must be overhauled to prepare matriculants

Progressing learners through grade 11 won’t solve education’s plight – improved leadership, teaching ability and accountability are also crucial.

By Staff Reporter

Article

/ 11 March 2016

Race and class still define our schools

The education system continues to entrench elite advantage while the poor stay stuck on lower tiers.

By Roger Southall

Article

/ 9 March 2016

Tertiary institutions must initiate change, not pacify donors

The Rhodes Trust tries to mollify criticism of Cecil John Rhodes’s legacy while not offending its wealthy alumni and other donors.

By Sen Muller

Article

/ 4 July 2011

In a worse state than we think

SA’s focus on the matric exam results obscures the fact that pupils in earlier grades lack fundamental skills.

By Stuart Saunders

Article

/ 8 October 2010

Ministries fail to learn lesson

Government is sweeping under the carpet the core reasons for dysfunctional schooling.

By Junita Kloppers Lourens

Article

/ 8 October 2010

Together step by step

Rebuilding education will have to be incremental and all will have to help.

By Bobby Soobrayan

Older posts

Successful education reform requires a bottom-up approach

Black learners can no longer be subjected to the colonial and apartheid mentality

Pandemic leaves 1.4bn learners worldwide behind on education

Miss Rona’s teaching the 4IR lessons

Catch-2020: Schools at risk, open or closed

We can’t expect learners and teachers to function optimally right now

Five lessons on reopening SA’s schools

Education: A state of unreadiness

Summing up the legal battles fought for better schools

Covid-19: An opportunity to reform the educational landscape

Can-do people achieve despite the odds

Building human capital for the fourth industrial revolution

Five changes that can fix the school system

Education system fails undocumented learners

We need to ask awkward questions about our schools

Citizenship can’t be taught in a module

Prune curricula to promote new learning

The ills of financial globalisation

Collective action brings about change

Include indigenous knowledge and cultures in the curriculum to improve health

The struggle to uncapture the classroom

Youth need skills for the fourth industrial revolution

Basic education is failing the economy

How Malema and others rose above a system that failed them

Africa’s economic slowdown an opportunity for reform

Education must become a social concern

Education system must be overhauled to prepare matriculants

Race and class still define our schools

Tertiary institutions must initiate change, not pacify donors

In a worse state than we think

Ministries fail to learn lesson

Together step by step

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