Thabo Mohlala

Parmosivea Bobby Soobrayan has been appointed director general of the department of basic education. He speaks to <i>the Teacher</i>.

Nando’s is in a league of its own when it comes to producing engaging and side-splitting advertisements. Its campaigns often take comical jabs at the blunders of the high and the mighty. There was one on rugby player Joost van der Westhuizen and his alleged night of passion with a stripper. ANC Youth League president Julius Malema made himself an obvious target with his reckless and inane political statements.

Malefu Mphatane has all the attributes that typify an African matriarch — grey hair, quiet confidence, warmth and a homely and spontaneous smile.

President Jacob Zuma on Thursday paid a special and moving tribute to the winners and runner-ups in this year tenth national teaching awards at a glittering event held at Velmore, west of Pretoria.

How can art or culture help to make mathematics, which most learners regard as "difficult" and "abstract", more user-friendly? Better still, how can Ndebele paintings be used to demystify the subject and make learning a pleasant experience?

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) will launch a four-year training programme in October, which will be taught at the Institute for Childhood Education at its Soweto Campus. The intake for the new programme, to be called <em>Funda Ujabule</em> (isiZulu for learn and be happy), will start next year.

Things seem to be calming down a bit within the education sector, following the recent signing of an agreement on the annual general salary increase for teachers.

Thabo Mohlala

The education department is proposing a restriction of school fees to less than R2 000 a year at public schools and if schools want to charge more the whole parent population must vote.

When Sydney Motene sets his mind on a goal, he will do whatever it takes to achieve it — even lobby the government. 

Slow progress in clarifying key points related to the occupation-specific dispensation (OSD) for the teaching profession is causing frustration among educators and fuelling fears that this might lead to strike action within the already embattled sector.

ANC provincial heavyweights in Gauteng have taken a hard line on alliance partner South African Democratic Teacher’s Union (Sadtu) over the disruption of schooling in Soweto, which reflects President Jacob Zuma’s recent pronouncements on industrial action.

"Boet, are you strong enough", "do you have a strong character", "have you been running races", "which was the last race you ran?"

An online educational resource, which claims to offer a quality online service to teachers, learners and parents, was launched recently, attesting to the growing popularity of information and communication technology (ICT) in education.

With only two days to the election, South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) is under fire for the manner in which it has been canvassing for the ANC.

The national department of education is to intervene in the Eastern Cape’s schooling system, which has been in a crisis state for years.

Two Alexandra-based teachers expelled recently by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) Gauteng central region for being ‘moles’ of the Congress of the People (Cope), have vowed to fight back the decision.

I recently attended a mass meeting convened by the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) Gauteng central region at Orlando Communal Hall in Soweto.

The education department is tightening rules to deny political parties access to schools during teaching time.

An estimated 1000 Gauteng teachers bunked class this week for a South African Democratic Teachers (Sadtu) meeting in Soweto, defying calls that it should refrain from holding meetings during teaching time.

South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) Gauteng Central, is defying calls by education minister, Naledi Pandor and ANC to refrain from holding political meetings during school hours.

Primary school teachers have resorted to the controversial practice of "pass one, pass all" in their classrooms because the steps they have to follow and the paperwork they have to complete to fail a learner are simply too time-consuming and tedious.

The Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (Saou) has appealed to school principals and school governing bodies to sponsor at least one intern teacher from 2010 onwards to address the acute shortage of qualified teachers in the country.

The South African Optometric Association (SAOU) has partnered the national department of education to address poor eyesight experienced by large numbers of learners across the country.