We live in a country constantly divided by intolerance, lack of understanding and lack of respect. Surely, as the editor of this newspaper, your prime objective should be to counter all this. For you to have allowed the cartoon on page 23 of the September issue of the Teacher to be published indicates to me […]
How to mould amazing citizens of the future Former schoolteacher Yvonne Kgame, editor of School TV, spoke to the Teacher about classroom success “A good teacher has the necessary knowledge, skills and values, and is well equipped to lead, teach and model best practice to her learners.” Kgame, who taught science and English at Kagiso […]
All governing bodies must write their own constitution. Step Three helps you to develop a constitution for your governing body. What is a constitution? A constitution is a document that explains how an organisation must be run. In other words, a constitution is like a set of rules and regulations, but it also has to […]
Nozuko Quvana tackles life as a teacher in a remote rural area I was employed in May 1996 as a teacher in one of Port St Johns’ Schools. I was very proud and happy to find that I was now employed and my dreams of being a teacher were fulfilled. On the day of my […]
Millions of learners will be encouraged to take part in one of the most ambitious projects aimed at obtaining data on children in South Africa. Driven by Statistics South Africa (SSA) in collaboration with the Department of Education, CensusAtSchool will target learners from grades 3 to 12. SSA aims to get basic information from learners […]
William Shakespeare is long dead but his dramas continue to play out in the global stage and on the big screen Othello, Shakespeare’s classic tale of treachery and betrayal, will open on the big screen in South Africa next month with far greater relevance than the Bard could have imagined. The movie, O, is based […]
Name: Mavis Strachan Age: 72 Occupation: Teacher What subjects do you teach? I studied to teach junior primary. Currently I am teaching children from grades one to three the language enrichment programme. Describe a typical day at school I usually have only six to eight children in my classes. Our day consists mainly of remedial […]
Teaching is the nobelest of professions, said Deputy Minister of Education Mosibudi Mangena, while paying tribute to a great educator Speaking at Siyahlomula Secondary School in Pietermaritzburg last month, Mangena said teachers did not only impart knowledge to learners but helped navigate intellectual waters and mould the young morally and physically. “My teachers gave me […]
Minister of Education Kader Asmal is determined to make schools in South Africa safer. This is an excerpt from his speech at the launch of the Signposts for Safe Schools workbook in parliament There are certain fundamental principles without which we cannot give our children the education they deserve. We must provide a safe school […]
It is with disappointment that we took notice of the way in which your paper of September 2001 made the Christian religion an object of derision with the “joke” on page 23. Furthermore it is surprising that a paper, which takes such a strong stand against racism, does not hesitate to practise religious discrimination. Considering […]
Some 85 000 census takers (or enumerators) will take to the streets from Wednesday October 10 to gather information from approximately 10-million households across the country. Unlike most other statistical surveys, a census must gather information from every single member of society. According to Mpho Tsedu, Census 2001 training co-ordinator at Statistics SA, they will […]
When does the duty to protect children become a violation of their rights, asks Console Tleane The thorny issue of random drug testing at schools, publicised in media reports earlier this year, highlights the widespread use of narcotics and has raised several human rights issues. Were schools operating within their rights to test pupils for […]
After a long silence due to a busy schedule, Minister of Education Kader Asmal went online for the first time last month since November. His chat over the Web focused on racism and the proposed renaming of schools carrying the names of apartheid-era leaders. “You only abolish racism by attacking racism. This idea that in […]
Ephraim Enock Jende discovers that men can be made to feel like pieces of meat Last year on the 24th, 25th and 26th of March, the Gauteng Department of Education organised a workshop on learning support materials (LSM) in Warmbaths in the North West Province. I was part of that workshop. We were working in […]
Academics must use their skills outside of the lecture rooms, Deputy President Jacob Zuma said at his installation as chancellor of the University of Zululand last month. He also urged local business to get more involved with the university in projects designed to imbue professionals with various kinds of skills. “Business has the social responsibility […]
Despite having human rights-friendly laws relating to the protection of the youth, South Africa has failed to nurture its children, according to AndrŽ Keet of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Unfortunately, Keet says, South Africa is still described as a nation that fails to nurture its children, particularly in a recent report issued […]
Deputy Minister of Education Mosibudi Mangena is leading the campaign to help South African learners and educators get to grips with maths, science and technology. This is an excerpt from his speech at the launch of the initiative Figures relating to the participation and attainment of our learners in maths and science are both alarming […]
Name: Wilma Rennet Wessels Occupation: Occupation: Financial Systems and Procedures Manager Describe a typical workday. The day starts by replying to e-mails and meeting with staff members to obtain specifications for the website being designed. When that is completed and documented in a work flow diagram, I record all the processes and actions that will […]
The success of every school rests on the shoulders of its headmaster, according to Deputy Minister of Education Mosibudi Mangena Speaking at the national conference of the South African School Principals’ Association, Deputy Minister of Education Mosibudi Mangena said principals assume the role of parents once children enter the school premises and should be responsible […]
The blueprint to instil a strong sense of patriotism in the educators and learners of today, in order for them to become better citizens of tomorrow, was released late last month. Entitled Manifesto on Values, Education and Democracy, the document encourages all South Africans to embrace the spirit of a democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South […]
Important agreements reached last month in the Education Labour Relations Council promise to bring more stability to a profession that has long been plagued by insecurity. The four resolutions will have major implications for the most vulnerable in the teaching force, including temporary teachers and underqualified teachers. The main implications for the teaching profession are: […]
One of South Africa’s most exciting research initiatives is about to be launched at Wits University. Wiser – the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research – promises to position the university at the forefront of social and economic inquiry on the continent and internationally. Headed by Professor Deborah Posel, Wiser has been established to […]
Mauritius, the idyllic island renowned for its splendid beaches and tourist attractions, was the venue for an education indaba early last month when the executive board of the Pan African Federation of Teachers’ Trade Unions (Pafettu) met. On the agenda, among other issues, was improving the quality of teaching and the status of educators. National […]
This year’s Green Trust Schools Award winners are shining examples of commitment to the environment, writes Hilary Fine WINNER: BATHURST PRIMARY SCHOOL, EASTERN CAPE Dreams of a healthier planet and a self-sufficient community prompted educators at Bathurst Primary to infuse an environmental ethos into everything they do. “Our aim is to develop a sanctuary of […]
Onetime Comrades Marathon champion Bruce Fordyce has one. So does the suddenly silent muso with a Zulu beat, Johnny Clegg (above), that divine songstress Sibongile Khumalo and the now solo – and grooveless – ex-lead singer of Mango Groove Claire Johnston. Included in this hot list is the titillating Thandi Mazwai from love them or […]
Masifunde Sonke, the much-hyped campaign to build a nation of readers, was given a major boost last month with the launch of the Nozincwadi (Mother of Books) Project, featuring Gcina Mhlophe, the acclaimed children’s storyteller. Mhlophe will travel throughout the country to promote reading and inspire future young writers. The Nozincwadi Project will target between […]
Tuesday July 24, 2001 Oxford University could face a legal battle with the Commission for Racial Equality after it failed to respond to questions over allegations that an Asian academic was racially discriminated against by the university. As part of its normal practise when deciding whether to take up cases, the commission last month gave […]
Trevor Letcher, professor of the School of Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Natal, has received one of the highest awards made to a scientist in Southern Africa, the prestigious Southern African Association for the Advancement of Science Gold Medal for 2001. Johann van den Berg, dean of the Faculty of Science, said […]
The antics of Western Cape educator Janine Orderson in Big Brother, the 24-hour reality television show on DSTV and M-Net, has become a talking point in education circles. Orderson, a primary school grade seven teacher, merrily consumed alcohol, paraded in a G-string and spoke of her sexual fantasies on the show. The divorced mother of […]
YOUR GUIDE TO INVESTING IN EDUCATION Futurekids (SA) embarked on an intensive countrywide teacher training programme at the beginning of the year that represents a major investment in the skills of South African educators. Futurekids (SA) managing director Victor Schultze says the investment in teachers is critical, as the new educational paradigm calls for more […]
Step Six gives you ideas about how to see whether your governing body is working well as a team, and whether you are making a difference to the school. There are two kinds of evaluations that your governing body needs to do. The first is to evaluate the relationships and ways of working of the […]
Apartheid-era perspectives still feature in history textbooks, according to Minister of Education Kader Asmal Minister of Education Kader Asmal cites the poor quality of history teaching at schools, the use of discredited apartheid-era textbooks, and the slide of history as a subject, as some of the reasons for the troubled state of history in schools. […]