#We Teach

                                                                        #We Care

                                                                        #We Protect

                                                                        #We Denounce Violence

 Driven by deep concern over the increase in violence at and around schools, The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) launched the “I Am a School Fan” campaign against violence in schools in 2019. Starting in August 2021, SADTU partnered with Old Mutual, Brand South Africa and UNICEF to gain more traction and drive awareness throughout South Africa and successfully launched the national campaign in Gauteng, Soweto.  The campaign is also being launched in all the other eight provinces.

The I Am a School Fan is a societal campaign that aims to mobilise all stakeholders including parents, teachers, learners, communities, and government departments to address school-related violence in all its forms. The campaign is in line with SADTU’s 2019 Congress Theme, “Claiming our right to have our human dignity and safety protected and respected in pursuit of a decolonised quality public education.”

The General Secretary of SADTU, Mugwena Maluleke explains, “We invite all peace loving citizens to join in the fight against violence. This fight is for the restoration of the dignity of those in our learning institutions. This fight is for the protection of the future of the children. There are many extensions to this campaign. Ultimately, it focuses bettering behaviours and attitudes in students and teachers. The main focal point is to address the prevalence of violence within the schools. This violence exists on multiple levels”.

As a trade union in the education sphere, SADTU has called on corporate partners for financial aid and added media reach and credibility. Thembisa Mapukuta, General Manager: Alternative Distribution for Old Mutual Retail Mass Market, says, “The right to education is enshrined in the South African Constitution and by supporting the I Am a School Fan campaign, Old Mutual recognises this right and upholds it.

“As a responsible business, Old Mutual is stepping forward to ensure that the education sector’s systemic challenges are addressed, both holistically and collectively. We collaborated with SADTU on this campaign with the objective to raise awareness about violence in schools. However, over the long-term we want to ensure that through this partnership we are able to formulate tangible solutions that will eradicate violence in schools and address the issues that could threaten the future of children in South Africa. This will require participation from all stakeholders; government, educators, parents and the community at large.”

I Am a School Fan addresses violence in the immediate school environment and in broader terms:

The immediate school environment (premises and those involved in this environment)

Violence being committed by teachers towards other teachers: (This is often gender-based) Female teachers are often ill-treated by those who have been in the system longer than them and hold a position of power. Seven out of 10 teachers are females, yet the management positions are still largely held by men.Teachers committing violence against learners: This includes illegal corporal punishment, gender-based violence (for example – there have been instances of teachers withholding marks unless the pupil engages in sexual activity, and pupils being sexually assaulted by school staff).Learner on learner violence: This is the most common and exists on many levels. Physical bullying, emotional bullying and cyberbullying are prevalent. Cyberbullying is still fairly new, and it is taking time for those in authority to learn how to deal with it. Cyberbullying has even, in some instances, lead to suicide. Cyberbullying reaches the child in the privacy of their home or wherever they take their phone or computer.  Due to the viral nature of the internet, humiliation can be very public and spreads far beyond the schoolyard.Learners towards teachers: Teachers know that they cannot respond to physical threats as corporal punishment is not allowed. But they don’t know what systems are in place to support them when they experience abuse at the hands of the learners. The learners are very aware of their rights and use this to their advantage.

The broader environment

Violence committed in schools by community members: South Africa is one of the very few countries where communities destroy schools when protesting external issues such as service delivery. Vuwani in Limpopo is a good example of this phenomenon. Violence erupted in the area after it was recommended that the Malamulele and Vuwani municipalities be merged. Residents turned their anger towards 31 schools and burned them. They also prevented pupils from attending school for more than 18 months. 30 000 pupils were affected. This is a generational crisis.

Theft of resources: Schools are often targets of armed robberies, burglaries, and hijackings. For years, the Department of Education has tried to move with the times and implement E-Learning. But the learning and teaching materials are frequently stolen by community members. They are also sometimes resold withing the same community. This creates a market for the parts. A paradigm shift is needed within communities for education to be protected.

Maluleke adds, “All of these issues are classified as violence in schools. In 2019, we sat for our ninth congress, where 300 000 members agreed that they want us to fight back against violence and mobilise all sectors of society with a positive message. It needed a name that would also contribute to that positive message, hence the birth of ‘I Am a School Fan’.

“We want to work on what we understand South Africa’s psyche to be. South Africans are sports fanatics and sport has often been a great unifier. We want to harness this and use it as a message that supports education with the same passion that one would support their favourite team”.

The campaign has been categorised to speak to all the stakeholders in the schooling community:

Learners: As a learner, what is your responsibility towards ensuring that your school community is a haven? You will not bully a fellow pupil and if you witness bullying you should be the first to report it. You will also respect your teachers and not bully them.Teachers: As a teacher, you will not use corporal punishment. You will not engage in inappropriate relationships with learners. You must respect that you act in loco parentis and should take on a nurturing and supportive relationship in a child’s life.The community: Be alert and protective of the school environment.The Department of Education: Ensure enough funding and resources to ensure a safe school environment.Parents: Make sure that you participate in the school community. Support the school Code of Conduct, take an interest in the daily running of the school. Support your school management team.

Maluleke concludes, “COVID has made us more mobilised as communities. The launch is well timed as this is time when communities are banding together, following the upheaval of lockdown. We need each other more than ever.

“We need to instil mechanisms where there is recourse. For example, if a teacher administers corporal punishment, it needs to be reported and dealt with. An awareness must also be created of steps to take when these issues arrive. It’s all very well to hear the message, but then what?

“Initially, the main purpose of the campaign is to raise awareness of what each stakeholder should and shouldn’t do. We are communicating the message that, ‘as a stakeholder, you should not do this’ etcetera. And ‘as a stakeholder, you MUST do this’ etcetera.

For more information on SADTU and the I Am a School Fan campaign, visit the following.

Website: www.sadtu.org.za

Twitter: @SadtuNational

Facebook: SADTU National Office

THE River States Conference Women’s Soccer Championship took place Saturday under conditions that were not very soccer-like. The high temperature was around 42 degrees, but it didn’t feel like that with the swirling wind surrounding the OVU Soccer Field.

The grim conditions also added to the overall fee of the game – two very evenly matched teams that were getting ready to battle it out for a championship and a berth into the National NAIA tournament.

The game was a yellow card festival throughout and that aggressive play meant scoring would be minimal. In fact, one OVU goal was all it took on this afternoon to lift the Scots to their very first RSC Championship in their very first year in the league.

In the first half, the action was instantaneous and both teams battled back and forth, but no real scoring threats took place. The first shot on goal did not register until the 21st minute when Rio Grande goalkeeper Morgan Nutter made easy work of a Raewyn Murphy kick. It was not until the 36th minute that any team could break the ice on this chilly day.

Ana Rodrigues set up for a corner kick, but instead of sending a cross into the box, she sent a quick entry pass to Anouck Heyer. Heyer immediately sent it back and Rodrigues then sent a shot into upper left hand corner of the goal. Nutter got a fingertip on the ball but was not able to redirect it and OVU took the lead. That is how the half ended with the Scots owning a 1-0 lead.

The second half found two teams pulling out all of the stops to try and win a championship. A total of 13 fouls and 6 yellow cards in the half but not a single shot on goal was registered. The OVU defense was stellar as they surrounded RSC Player of the year Chase Davis and other RedStorm attackers anytime the approached the goal box. In the end, Rio just ran out of time and the Fighting Scots were crowned the champions.

After the game, the All-Conference team was announced. OVU’s Ylenia Cirrincione, Raewyn Murphy, Sindi Kanto, Yuliana Hererra and Oihane Abascal were all named to the RSC Second team. Ximena Jauregui and Manuela Filipe were named to the RSC First team. Filipe was then awarded the RSC Newcomer of the Year and Jauregui was awarded the RSC Defensive Player of the year.

OVU coach Eric Belcher was announced as Coach of the Year in the River States Conference after the game and had this to say about his team.

“What a season it’s been. Regular season champs. Conference tournament champs. So proud of these ladies! On to the National Tournament. There’s more work to do.”

The Scots have earned a right to play in the NAIA National Championship tourney. Their opponent and destination will be determined via a selection show on Monday.

* News & Sentinel

International students are returning to U.S. colleges in stronger numbers this year, but the rebound has yet to make up for last year’s historic declines as COVID-19 continues to disrupt academic exchange, according to a new survey.

Nationwide, American colleges and universities saw a 4% annual increase in international students this fall, according to survey results released Monday by the Institute of International Education. But that follows a decrease of 15% last year — the steepest decline since the institute began publishing data in 1948.

The upturn is better than many colleges were forecasting over the summer as the delta variant surged. But it also reflects continued obstacles as visa backlogs persist and as some students show reluctance to study abroad during the pandemic.

Universities and U.S. officials hope this year’s uptick is the start of a long-term rebound. As international travel ramps up, there’s optimism that colleges will see growth past their pre-pandemic levels.

“We expect a surge following the pandemic,” Matthew Lussenhop, an acting U.S. assistant secretary of state, told reporters. This year’s increase indicates that international students “continue to value a U.S. education and remain committed to pursuing studies in the United States,” he added.

Overall, 70% of U.S. colleges reported an uptick in international students this fall, while 20% saw decreases and 10% remained level, according to the institute. That’s based on a preliminary survey of more than 800 U.S. schools. The nonprofit plans to issue full nationwide data next year.

At least some of the increase is due to new students who hoped to come to the U.S. last year but delayed their plans because of the pandemic. All told, there was a 68% increase in newly enrolled international students this year, a dramatic increase compared with last year’s decrease of 46%.

For many schools, even a modest upturn is a relief. Over the summer, officials at U.S. universities worried that the delta variant would dash any hopes of a rebound. But for many, that did not come to pass.

In August, U.S. embassies and consulates in India reported that they had recently issued visas to a record 55,000 students even after starting the process two months late because of COVID-19. Embassies in China reported that they had issued 85,000 student visas.

At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, more than 10,000 international students enrolled this fall, which nearly offsets a 28% decline from last year.

“What we’re seeing now is a return to normal for our international populations,” said Andy Borst, director of undergraduate admissions at the university. The rebound is fueled by new undergraduates, with those from India up nearly 70% over pre-pandemic levels.

“We just had this pent-up demand,” Borst said. “A lot of Big Ten schools saw increases beyond what we were expecting.”

At some schools with big brands overseas, enrollments rebounded past their 2019 figures. More than 17,000 international students enrolled at New York University this fall, up 14% over 2019, according to school data.

At the University of Rochester, another top destination for international students in New York, enrollments from abroad surged 70% over 2019 levels, driven by a boom in graduate students, according to school data.

Most students were able to arrive on campus within the first weeks of the semester, but many dealt with visa backlogs at U.S. embassies and consulates, not to mention costly flights and cancellations, said Jennifer Blask, the university’s head of international admissions.

The vast majority of U.S. colleges returned to in-person learning by this fall, but not all international students are physically on campus. After last year’s shift to remote learning, many schools have continued offering online classes to students abroad, allowing thousands to stay enrolled from afar.

Out of all international students enrolled at U.S. colleges this year, the survey found that about 65% were taking classes on campus.

For Chinese students unable to arrive for this semester, NYU is continuing to let them use its academic center in Shanghai, which is traditionally for U.S. students studying abroad. The university also let international students use its London and Abu Dhabi locations last year, but has since returned them to use for study abroad programs.

For some colleges, the new flexibility of online learning helped avoid further enrollment setbacks. In the past, students at the University of San Francisco might have been able to start the term a week late if they faced visa or travel problems. Now, those facing visa delays can arrive halfway through the term or later, and in the meantime study online from abroad.

Facing travel restrictions inside Vietnam, graduate student Vinh Le was unable to get to Ho Chi Minh City’s airport in time for the start of fall classes. Instead, he studied online for more than two months until he could get his first vaccine shot, which allowed him to travel.

Taking classes online was challenging because of the time difference, he said, but professors were “very supportive” and recorded their lectures to be watched any time. He ended up making it to the University of San Francisco on Nov. 1.

International students are seen as important contributors to U.S. campuses for a variety of reasons. Colleges say they help provide a diverse mix of cultures and views on campus. Many end up working in high-demand fields after graduating. And some colleges rely on the financial benefits of international students, who are typically charged higher tuition rates.

Although many colleges have avoided a second year of declines, there’s still concern that the upturn may be isolated to certain types of colleges. The new survey found that, last year, community colleges suffered much steeper declines than four-year universities, with a 24% backslide nationwide.

Researchers are still analyzing this year’s data, but some worry that community colleges may continue to lag behind.

There are also questions about whether the rebound will continue past this year. New vaccine requirements for foreign travelers could make it harder for some students to get here, and colleges are expecting continued competition from colleges in Australia, Canada and other nations looking to boost their international populations.

Still, officials at many colleges are optimistic. More vaccines are being sent overseas, and newly lifted travel bans promise to reduce barriers to travel. Some also credit President Joe Biden for sending a message that America wants students from abroad.

In July, the administration issued a statement promising a “renewed” commitment to international education, saying it would work to make overseas students feel welcome.

Rachel Banks, senior director of public policy and legislative strategy for NAFSA, an international education association, said that’s a shift from the Trump administration.

“In the last administration, there was a lot of negativity and negative rhetoric around international students,” Banks said. “Biden is now trying to telegraph to the world that there’s interest in having international students coming here.”

* AP

THE Gauteng Department of Education said it had not yet experienced water disruptions at schools in and around Johannesburg.

This comes after Water utility Rand Water announced planned water interruptions starting on Monday.

Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabonasaid although no water challenges were experienced most schools had boreholes in place.

Mabona said on Monday: “Because this is a planned project, they (schools) were advised to stockpile water. They utilised different mechanisms to stockpile water. But on the other hand, parents are encouraged to give children water bottles so that after writing their assessments, they are then released.”

He said it was fortunate that maintenance was being done during examination periods when pupils were not expected to be at school for a full day, but were expected to leave after writing exams.

The water cuts were due to maintenance to infrastructure and were expected to last for 54 hours.

According to Rand Water, their bulk water supplier is working on its raw water pipe that supplies the Vereeniging water purification plant.

Rand Water said maintenance would affect the water supply from the Rand Water Eikenhof pump station to the south of Johannesburg, the CBD, and the northern and western areas. It said the water supply will be reduced by 25%.

The planned water cuts have also affected the courts in the municipal area.

Proceedings at the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg will come to a halt until Thursday.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a short statement, “Kindly note that due to water cuts, matters sitting in (the Gauteng) High Court (in Johannesburg) that were set down from Monday to Wednesday will be postponed to Thursday.”

THE Department of Basic Education (DBE) has tabled a set of proposals to Eskom for serious consideration in a bid to avoid load shedding affecting matriculants who are currently writing exams.

The proposals include that consideration must be made for load shedding to be avoided when SA Sign Language Home Language (SASL HL) is written on November 23 and 30, as it requires laptops and other assisting devices.

A second proposal was for Eskom to suspend the load shedding every evening, from Sunday to Thursday, for four hours across the country from 7pm to 11pm. That would allow learners to prepare for the examination to be written the following morning.

Those proposals were tabled during the department’s meeting with the Public Enterprises and Eskom managers at the weekend.

DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the meeting was attended by managers from the Department of Public Enterprises led by director-general Kgathatso Tlhakudi, DBE acting director-general Dr Granville Whittle, who was accompanied by a team of managers.

Mhlanga said the purpose of the meeting was to deliberate on the impact of load-shedding on basic education in general and the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in particular.

He said the department told the Eskom that load shedding was creating a general sense of anxiety and tension to candidates at a time when they should be totally relaxed and focussed on writing their all-important examinations.

“The crucial period of preparing for the examination the night before is now disrupted by load shedding. The added stress emanates from the traffic congestion in the morning due to non-functioning traffic lights,” he said.

During the meeting, Eskom said the proposals would be considered and that a team would be assembled to see how those measures would be implemented.

Eskom’s chief executive, Andre de Ruyter, said that other sectors had also made similar requests and that Eskom would consider the recommendations.

He said Eskom had since adjusted the load-shedding schedule to stage 2 and that in the next few days load-shedding would not happen, and cautioned however that there were no guarantees as the situation was being monitored on a regular basis.

Congress of South African Students (Cosas) acting provincial secretary Mphumzi Giwu said they feel that load shedding was adding a burden to learners who were coming from disadvantaged households and affects underprivileged schools who can’t afford a generator.

ANC provincial spokesperson on education, Khalid Sayed, called on Eskom and all role-players to treat with empathy the plea of thousands who sit for their end-of-year school exams.

Sayed said emergency cuts of the supply were adversely especially affecting the many poor learners and students during their final exams.

“The emergency cuts are a huge distraction to those who prepare and review for these important exams, especially the poor in disadvantaged areas who have no alternatives when the lights go out,” he said.

* ANA

SENIOR Managers from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) have been using various forms of engagement platforms to reach out to schools to provide urgent support where needed during the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

These interventions also included school visits conducted by Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, Deputy Minister, Dr Regina Mhaule, and Director-General Hubert Mathanzima Mweli.

School visits and monitoring programmes are essential because they provide the Department with a broad picture of the situation faced by the sector to identify best practices and challenges from which intervention strategies can be developed to provide support to schools.

The Director for Education Management and Governance Development, James Ndlebe, indicated that Covid-19 posed challenges to every education stakeholder within the Basic Education Sector.

He applauded the role played by School Governing Bodies (SGBs), parents, School Management Teams (SMTs) and school principals in ensuring that the phased approach of opening schools, difficult as it was, was successful.

“As the governance of schools is vested in its SGB in terms of section 16(1) of the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 (SASA), as amended, SGBs must promote the best interest of the school and support school staff and SMTs to perform their duties. During the advent of Covid-19, we saw SGBs becoming a link between the school and communities, leading to the safe return of learners to school and ensuring that there was social distancing; wearing of face masks; and adherence to hygiene protocols, including the availability of meals for all returning grades,” explained Ndlebe.

“Quality education cannot be achieved unless communities are involved in determining the nature, character and the direction that schools must take. The role of parents in supporting their school-going children cannot be over emphasised. It makes a huge difference in the outcome of learner performance. The establishment of SGBs is the way in which we, in the sector, formalise the interaction between schools and parents. This was evident in the many consultation meetings held between the Department and SGBs throughout the lock down period,” he concluded.

THE University of Cape Town has announced an expanded scholarship programme for its new online school due to significant demand.

The online school, which commences classes in January 2022, has received more than 7,000 applications for the 2021 academic year, with scholarships now being offered to all high school-aged students, it said. 

UCT is running the online venture in collaboration with the Valenture Insitute, and is a CAPS-aligned curriculum that enables learners in grades 8 – 12 the opportunity to study at a monthly fee of R2,095.

The university said that learners will benefit from a supported self-discipline model, which allows them to pace their own learning while receiving one-on-one tutoring from expert teachers and support coaches whenever they need it.

Students will also be provided with a range of university and career preparation services and offerings.

In addition, the entire curriculum will be made available for free on an interactive online platform, the tertiary institution said. Users of this free content will be issued with a learner number to save their learning path and data, with unlimited logins permitted.

Privates and corporates 

While many of South Africa’s private schools have had to incorporate online teaching due to the Covid-19 pandemic, some are making a more permanent shift towards online schools.

JSE-listed independent education provider Curro opened its Curro Online offering in mid-June last year, and boasts more than 600 learners.

The group has also implemented additional e-learning solutions, the latest being Curro Choice, an e-learning offering that launched in February 2021 to broaden the range of subjects available to every Curro high school learner nationwide.

Looking ahead, the education group said it will continue to invest in the business, and make better use of its existing facilities as the education landscape changes.

Corporates have also shown eagerness to offer online learning facilities. At the end of October, mobile operator MTN launched its online school, offering a digital curriculum for grades R-12.

The online school, endorsed by the Department of Basic Education, will offer additional features like video lessons, assessments and extra-tuition lessons for grade 10 to 12 learners.

It will also focus on areas such as financial skills, entrepreneurship, arts and culture, and career guidance content, with particular attention on critical careers where there are skills shortages in South Africa.

The portal includes an introduction to the early childhood development curriculum and African storytelling, with over 2,000 stories, to equip children with good reading skills and improve confidence, enabling them to learn and read independently.

Ongoing shift 

Before the pandemic, the majority of institutions had less than half of their learning offering available online despite nearly 9 out of 10 universities having started implementing their digital strategy sometime before 2020, said Stewart Watts, vice president for EMEA, at online learning company D2L.

The crisis accelerated efforts to implement digital strategies in South Africa and as a result, there is now an increased number of courses available online for students, growing to 59%, he said.

“Change is starting to happen and it will probably be like a domino effect. The pandemic has forced a long-term shift in the way we think about EdTech and digital transformation, and it’s a good sign that higher education institutions are putting the student experience and learning outcomes at the centre of their strategies,” he added.

“More than 90% of respondents in South Africa say that institutions need to digitally transform to enable future growth, and improving digital skills within the academic community is also a top priority.”

* Business Tech

THE National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says it is expecting a shortfall of about R10 billion in its student funding for the 2022 academic year. 

NSFAS has cited various factors for this including the COVID-19 pandemic and the expected increase of student enrolments in tertiary institutions.

The scheme was briefing Parliament on its annual report for the 2020-2021 financial year.

CEO Andile Nongongo said NSFAS was able to take proactive measures in dealing with the matter before the opening of the 2022 academic year.

He says both the National Treasury and the Department of Higher Education and Training have been approached.

“The shortfall is projected to about R10 billion. The difference this time is that we were able to engage quite early with the department and the National Treasury to try and secure this funding.”

“Of course that is not in the control of NSFAS to come up with such money. It is in the control of government to prioritise those funds. So indeed this money has been earmarked,” explains Nongongo.

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, said funding to universities and TVET colleges has increased from R20 billion in 2018 to R42 billion in 2021.

“It should also be noted that NSFAS funding increased from R5.9 billion in 2014/15 to approximately R35 billion in 2020/21,” said Nzimande.

“As you know, additional funding was reprioritized to support a NSFAS shortfall in 2021/22, the current financial year, taking the total NSFAS budget to approximately R42 billion.”

Nzimande said last year more than 750 000 students were financially assisted by the NSFAS.

Addressing the launch of the NSFAS application season for 2022 in Pretoria, Nzimande promised to fund all deserving students next year.

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA|

JUST as the COVID-19 pandemic has tested our resolve as a nation and united us as a people, it has also illustrated once more that community-based and civil society organisations are the lifeblood of this country.
 
Since the earliest days of the pandemic, civil society organisations have played an essential role in supporting the public health response and sustaining livelihoods.
 
When government embarked on an extensive relief programme to support people in distress, community organisations partnered with us to make it happen. In many ways this was a true expression of the Thuma Mina spirit. Among other things, they helped to expand sheltering services for survivors of gender-based violence and kept community early childhood development centres running. There were many local community kitchens that sprung up to deal with hunger, often supported by local volunteers, restaurant owners, supermarkets and farmers.
 
And while meeting vital community needs, these organisations are also creating jobs. This is a strength that we want to build on through the new Social Employment Fund, which has just been launched as part of the second phase of the Presidential Employment Stimulus.
 
Through this fund, non-governmental, community-based and civil society organisations as well as social enterprises will be supported to create jobs while undertaking work that serves the common good and is not for profit.
 
This could include work that promotes food security, healthcare, education support, greening the environment, better public spaces, community safety and action against gender-based violence.
 
It is expected that the Social Employment Fund will create around 50,000 work opportunities. A total of R800 million has been allocated to the fund, which is being led by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and managed by the Industrial Development Corporation.
 
Applications are now open for organisations to become the fund’s Strategic Implementing Partners. These partners must be able to create work for at least 1,000 participants, and will be expected to reach the employment target within the first quarter of implementation.
 
No less than 80% of the funds received needs to be spent on wages. This will ensure that the work supported by the Fund is labour intensive, provides meaningful experience and delivers real social value. Social employment is not about work alone, but about creating high-quality assets and services for communities.
 
Public employment programmes are particularly important when there are not enough jobs being created in the private sector. As our economy starts to recover from the effects of COVID-19, public employment fills a vital gap as companies get back on their feet and start hiring again.
 
Work opportunities under the Social Employment Fund will be part-time. This means more people can participate and participants can be employed and have a secure income for longer. This gives participants the time to develop the structure, skills and networks associated with participation in work.
 
Participants will perform an average of two days of work a week, and we want to encourage the private sector and the donor community to support these organisations, which will enable participants to be paid for more workdays a week.
 
As the International Labour Organization notes, work experience and skills acquired through public employment programmes can improve a person’s chances of being employed, becoming self-employed or starting their own business.
 
As with the other programmes of the Presidential Employment Stimulus, this fund will have a broader transformative impact by engaging unemployed people to carry out socially valuable activities such as educating our youngest citizens, greening our communities, and providing care and support to society’s most vulnerable.
 
As we strive to recover and rebuild in the aftermath of the pandemic, the Social Employment Fund will not only create more work opportunities and support more livelihoods, it will also be a critical driver of development and social upliftment.
 
Through this fund, and the many organisations it will support, government aims to mobilise the abundant energy and capabilities of the wider society to create work for the common good.

* From the desk of the President

THE Department of Basic Education heeded the call this weekend by President Cyril Ramaphosa to support the Vooma Vaccination Weekend – aimed at encouraging more South African to take the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine.

The department hosted a vaccination activation from Saturday until Sunday from 8h00 to 15h00 at the Open Site next to Holy Pentecost Apostolic Church in Boitumelo, Sebokeng in Gauteng.

As part of government’s efforts to ramp up vaccinations for the country ahead of the festive season, Ramaphosa has written to a wide range of leaders in government, labour, faith-based organisations, the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, business and civil society partners inviting them to support the Vooma Vaccination Weekend and participate in local events and community outreaches across the country.

“The department will have an exhibition on site to showcase and share information about the various programmes of the DBE including Funza Lushaka and Second Chance Matric Support Programme,” the Department of Basic Education said in a statement.

Earlier this week, Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla said in a statement that the first Vooma Vaccination Weekend led to an unprecedented level of engagement and active mobilisation across many districts in South Africa.

He said that it achieved 75% of its target of 500,000 vaccinations over the three-day period, and government hopes to achieve 100% of that target this weekend. –SAnews.gov.za