ABIGAIL GEORGE

EASTERN CAPE’S veteran educator Ambrose Cato George became a teacher in 1965. In a teaching career, which spread over a period of more than 30 years, he gradually climbed the promotion ladder and eventually became a principal of a large comprehensive school in a sub-economic township, namely the Gelvandale Senior Secondary School in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.

This post he carried out with success for 10 years. In 1994, a South Africa and a new dispensation found him in the position of Inspector of Education.

He acted as supervisor for more than 50 high, primary and special schools. He played a significant role in the transformation and transition to one educational system and was instrumental in amalgamating schools from the previous educational departments.

He was forced to retire from his post because of clinical depression.

Although Ambrose was occupied fulltime as an educationalist, he still found time to get involved in community activities. Some of these activities included the following: he served on the executive of the Port Elizabeth Mental Health Society for many years: he was involved with the Happydale School for Severely Mentally Handicapped children for more than 30 years.

The Port Elizabeth Mental Health Society honoured him in 1999 by being made an Honorary Life Member of Society. For the last 16 years, he was chairman of the Management Committee of Happydale.

He was instrumental in starting a Depression Support Group in the Northern Areas in Port Elizabeth. He served as a member of the Management Committee at Happydale when his health allowed it.

He serves as a part-time lecturer at the Charlotte Searle Nursing College for a period of 15 years. He lectured Biochemistry, Biophysics, Education and Administration. He also lectured Physics and Chemistry to radiology students. He served on the Council of Charlotte Searle nursing College for many years.

Throughout his career he was under regular medication and underwent mood swings particularly depression at frequent intervals. He was very fortunate that for a period that stretched for almost 30 years he was supported by the Port Elizabeth Mental Health Society.

They organized his visitation to see the state psychiatrist and to get a monthly supply of medication.

He found it important to monitor the early warning signs of mania and depression.

Throughout my suffering from mood swings, he found that various stressors, which was accompanied by severe stress, exacerbated my condition.

Much stigma, ignorance and denial exist concerning manic depression and stress hence the necessity for the following account and his autobiography which states his case on his own terms.

In 1962 due to the great oppression under the Nationalist Party he was forced to enter the armed struggle as a member of the Yu Chi Chan Club (which was a subversive organisation led by Dr Neville Alexander).

He met such political luminaries such Advocate Albie Sachs, Advocate Fikile Bam, Cadre Ruth First, the poet Arthur Nortje, the stalwart George Botha and Comrade Dulcie September.

Now in the autumn of his years he is taken up with writing about his life experience under apartheid, mental health matters and his autobiography.

It could be stated that in the life of Dr Ambrose Cato George Ph.D, he was recruited into a subversive organization as a student at UWC formerly known as Bush University, he was a scholar who studied at London University, Rhodes, UNISA, UWC, teacher, writer, family man but there was disorder in his life when it came to his mood.

A wise and brilliant man, it still occupies his life.

George was born in South End, Gqeberha in 1944. He holds the following academic qualifications: B.Sc. In Zoology and Botany (Unisa), Secondary Teacher’s Diploma-postgraduate (UWC), B.Ed. – distinction in Philosophy of Education (Unisa), Associate of the University of London Institute of Education (London) for the study: “The Educational Provision of the Mentally and Physically Handicapped in England and Wales and its possible application in South Africa”. The M.Ed. Degree (Rhodes) with the thesis: “the London Missionary Society and Education: A Study of the Eastern Cape 1799 to 1852” as well as the Doctor of Philosophy degree (Rhodes) with the thesis: “A Mission and Five
Commissions: A Study of Some Aspects of the Educational work of the American Zulu Mission 1835-1910”.

INSIDE EDUCATION

EVERY year, the cost of studying at a South African university is becoming unbearable for students. According to data from financial services group, Old Mutual, university students in South Africa will fork out an average of 3000 US dollars in 2023.

In the past week, students from the University of Witwatersrand shut down the campus in protest over the exclusion of students who cannot afford to register for the new academic year and payoff debt. 

One of the student leaders says their demanding that the university does not leave academically deserving students stranded.

Lungile Magagula, Wits University Student Forum Interim Chairperson said financial exclusion is not a valid reason to bar students from starting the new academic year.

“The problem here is that students are not able to register due to financial reasons. Most students who are unable to register are academically deserving to register but they are unable to because of financial reasons. And that is one of our major demands,” said Magagula.

Last week, students at Wits University were seen sleeping in public places due to delays in securing financial aid for accommodation. 

Onkokame Seepamore, a final year BA Law student expresses concern that financial aid for accommodation continues to be a struggle every year.

“At the current moment, I don’t have funding and I am appealing for financial  aid. For the past years, it was okay but this year it became a struggle because I didn’t have funding at all. I had problems getting accommodation and  registering.” said Seepamore.

Jabulile Mbanjwa, Bachelor of Laws (LLB) student recalls repeatedly applying for bursaries but with no luck.

“I studied a BA Law and I am doing the two postgraduate LLB and because financial aid has defunded the two year and three year stream of LLB I am stuck without funding. I was fortunate to register but I don’t know how I am going to cover my fees and I was not able to get accommodation because I don’t have financial aid. “ recalls Mbanjwa.

Seven years ago, Fees Must Fall protests erupted on campuses throughout South Africa. Students were calling for free and quality tertiary education. Lungile says this is the perfect time to put pressure on the government to provide free education.

“It is time for us to consider free education. These are issues that emanate from us not having free education. It is time for the government and universities to work together in order to consider free education“, demands  Magagula.

At this point, students and management of Wits University are still locked in negotiations. 

On the ground, students are hoping that a mutual solution will come sooner rather than later.

AFRICANEWS

A Nebraska school district has agreed to pay $1 million to the family of an eighth grader who died after eating a granola bar given to him by a teacher.

The Papillion La Vista school board will vote on the wrongful death settlement with the parents of Jagger Shaw, 14, at its meeting Monday night.

Few details about what happened last May are included in court documents because the settlement was reached through a probate court process and not a civil lawsuit.

Jagger’s parents declined to comment to the Omaha World-Herald about the settlement. But his father, Thomas Shaw, said in a Facebook post Jagger’s teacher at Liberty Middle School offered him a granola bar after he asked to go to the office for a snack.

“The teacher said you can have one of my granola bars, so Jagger took it and got halfway through eating it and felt like he was starting to have an allergic reaction,” Tom Shaw wrote.

He did not describe Jagger’s allergy in the post nor say if the school was aware of that allergy.

Shaw said Jagger went to the school nurse’s office where he was first given the allergy medication, Benadryl. That didn’t help, so the nurse gave Jagger an epinephrine shot with an EpiPen. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital where he died May 7.

The Shaw family’s attorney did not respond Monday to a phone message requesting details of the settlement.

The school district’s liability insurer will pay the settlement.

AP

ZAYD WAGHID

EXCELLENT teachers can change our lives. Researchers have shown that good teachers encourage us to think critically, reflect and learn across disciplines. These are all skills that can set us up for life.

I have had the privilege of being taught by a few brilliant teachers in my life, and I have also observed teaching excellence at the numerous schools I have visited over the years as an education academic.

Those who stand out are devoted, imaginative, motivated and motivating, and eager to overcome challenging conditions to make a positive difference in the lives of young people.

Teachers are expected to teach, but great teachers also have a wealth of knowledge and experience and are eager to learn from their learners.

They bring their cultural capital – what they have learned and experienced – to engagements with learners, colleagues and the community. In turn, they are altered by their connections with others and can positively affect those with whom they engage.

But what is it that makes a great teacher? Here are five key lessons I have learned that I believe are crucial for excellent teaching.

1. Find your teaching philosophy

Every great teacher knows that coming up with a teaching philosophy is important and it’s unique to each person. It is what your teaching is based on and is usually made up of central ideas, beliefs, values, and goals.

For instance, a teaching philosophy could be influenced by the Brazilian philosopher of education Paulo Freire’s approach. This is based on the idea that students should not be perceived as passive recipients of knowledge as if they were empty vessels. Instead, they should be seen as part of the knowledge-making process.

2. Be the student

I have spent much time researching and experimenting with different methods to connect with my students in class. It’s important for a teacher to put themselves in a student’s position.

A teacher may declare, for instance, that a student is being disruptive in class. It is essential to attempt to discover why the student is behaving that way.

I often discuss the necessity of defamiliarisation: the method of looking at something familiar in an unusual manner through a different lens. I have also found that having students draw pictures of their lives or watch interesting films in class that put them in new situations helps me understand their situations — particularly when I ask them to connect the stories of these films to their situations.

3. Cultivate a classroom community

Classroom community nurtures academic and emotional growth by providing a cooperative, supportive environment. Research shows that to build a community in the classroom, one needs to develop three types of presences: teaching (promoting a supportive, engaging learning environment), social (the capacity of learners and teachers to communicate meaningfully and collaboratively), and cognitive (how much students can build meaning and knowledge through critical thinking and reflection).

A great teacher knows that to make students think critically and do their work well they must first establish a strong social presence, building relationships with students that allow them to facilitate discussions and co-create knowledge with their classes.

For example, they might adopt a process of rotation, allowing all learners the opportunity to facilitate group discussions using social networking platforms like Facebook or FlipGrid. This is also great for bringing often quiet learners together for meaningful conversations where they are given the chance to talk and be heard.

4. Let students choose the technology

Although exceptional teachers are efficient at integrating digital tools with instructional techniques and subject matter, it’s also crucial that students be offered a variety of tools to choose from, giving them more freedom and choice in their learning. This is one way of disrupting teaching and learning practices: knowing when to give up control over things like the choice of technology.

This could mean using a low-tech teaching tool like Plickers in the classroom to test students’ knowledge using Plicker cards, or gamification software like Kahoot. Learners who prefer to play games in class or take quizzes from home could choose Kahoot.

Plickers is a valuable tool for those who want to be more formally tested in class because it lets teachers quickly and easily see if a student understands subject matter so they can adjust their teaching accordingly. It is also an intelligent way to engage students in active learning and boost class participation.

5. Get feedback: even great teachers can be better

Your students are the best judges of how well you teach.

So, it is essential to have ways for them to give you feedback on how you are performing. A great teacher should be authentic about what they do and acknowledge what worked and what did not, as well as what needs to happen for improvement.

There is no such thing as a perfect teacher because even the best teachers make mistakes.

But there must be a way to unlearn bad habits and learn new ways to do things. As a teacher it’s easy to ensure that the curriculum is complete by mainly engaging in direct instruction and leaving too little space for debates in class.

I have often showed trainee teachers a free online tool for planning lessons called Learning Designer, developed by the University College London.

It provides a step-by-step plan for creating learning activities and tests that align with specific learning objectives and outcomes. It’s based on British education scholar Dianna Laurillard’s six ways of learning.

This has helped my students to think more deeply about whether their lessons use a good mix of different teaching methods.

(Zayd Waghid, Associate professor, Cape Peninsula University of Technology)

THE CONVERSATION

THE COVID-19 pandemic was a shock to higher education systems everywhere. But while some changes, like moving lectures online, were relatively easy to make, assessment posed a much bigger challenge. Assessment can take many forms, from essays to exams to experiments and more.

Many institutions and individual academics essentially outsourced the assessment process to software. They increased their use of programs like Turnitin to check for matched wording in students’ assignments. And for closed-book, timed tests they used tools such as Proctorio, which monitor a student’s computer or phone while they write exams.

But universities did not seize this chance to reflect on what higher education is for and how assessment might be used to enhance its achievement. Instead they doubled down on the status quo, breathing a sigh of relief once isolation and lockdown orders were revoked and things could return to “normal”.

The advent of ChatGPT and similar chatbots provides another opportunity for the sector to reflect on why and how it assesses – and what higher education is for.

ChatGPT is a chatbot technology, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), that enables users to have natural, human-like conversations with a computer. It uses advanced language processing techniques to understand user input and provide natural, contextual responses.

With ChatGPT, users can converse with a computer in a way that feels like talking to a real person. It scrapes information from a large database mined from the internet and uses this to create a unique response to a prompt.

So, for instance, it can write an essay on any topic – “the advantages of breastfeeding” or “the social complexity of the refugee crisis in Europe”. It can also be trained to provide context-specific essays.

We are academics from South Africa, Australia, the UK and the US, working in fields related to education, ways of learning and teaching, and academic practice. We believe ChatGPT could be a powerful impetus to shift from understanding assessment as the assurance of an educational “product” to assessment as learning.

Used properly, it could be a valuable way to teach students about critical thinking, writing and the broader role of artificial intelligence tools like chatbots in the world today.

Threat or opportunity?

The advent of ChatGPT has prompted a variety of reactions from universities all over the world. In the UK, for instance, the reaction towards ChatGPT and higher education has veered from the hyperbolic – will AI ruin universities? – to the more measured, such as considering what students think of the technology.

If the purpose of higher education is that students memorise and summarise a body of knowledge, and that this is then certified via assessment, then ChatGPT is an existential threat. The market value of credentials is directly threatened if universities can no longer confidently assert that the texts assessed by academics have indeed been produced by their students.

But if the purpose of higher education is to nurture a transformative relationship to a particular body of knowledge that enables students to see the world – and their place in it – in new ways, then assessment takes on a vastly different meaning.

Used well, ChatGPT and similar tools can show students the wonders and responsibilities of acquiring and building powerful knowledge. It can assist rather than being seen in opposition to their learning.

Here are four ways this might happen.

Four potential applications

1. Students can reflect on articles produced by ChatGPT which have fabricated references and distorted information and then deliberate on the potential consequences of this in an era of fake news.

2. Students can be set assignments that require them to compare ChatGPT’s answers to ones they have developed and ascertain whether they know the material and how it might be represented differently.

3. ChatGPT can be used to support essay writing and to help foster a sense of mastery and autonomy. Students can analyse ChatGPT responses to note how the software has drawn from multiple sources and to identify flaws in the ChatGPT responses which would need their attention.

4. Students can be encouraged to consider the extent to which their use of ChatGPT has enabled or constrained their access to powerful knowledge. This is a chance to critically reflect on where and how the use of AI is taking place in society and their potential future professions.

There is already a multitude of ideas available online about how ChatGPT can be used to create prompts for assignments. Lecturers and students can explore these to see how they might be adapted for their own learning and teaching needs.

None of these ideas will be simple to implement. Academics will need support from their institutions in considering what such technological developments mean for their disciplines. And, we’d argue, that support must help academics to move beyond seeking ways to trick the software or to monitor students.

Innovation and inclusion

Society and the higher education sector squandered the opportunity that COVID presented to reflect on what higher education was for and how assessment might be used to enhance learning.

Rather than signalling the end of higher education, ChatGPT has instead presented the sector, and society more broadly, with another opportunity. This is a chance to develop innovative and inclusive teaching, learning, and assessment aligned to such understandings.

AUTHORS|

(Sioux McKenna, Director of Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Rhodes University & Visiting Research Professor in Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, Rhodes University; Dan Dixon Adjunct Lecturer, University of Sydney;

Daniel Oppenheimer Professor of Decision Science and Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University; Margaret Blackie, Associate Professor, Rhodes University; Sam Illingworth Associate Professor, Edinburgh Napier University)

THE CONVERSATION

EDWIN NAIDU

ALMOST three decades after democracy, South Africa prepares to celebrate Human Rights Day on 21 March. But the death of another child, who allegedly fell in a pit latrine in the Eastern Cape last week, has highlighted the failure of the government to provide adequate sanitation for learners.

The four-year-old child was found dead in the pit latrine toilet in a primary school in Glen Grey on Tuesday.

The Eastern Cape Education department claimed in a media report that the child had used a toilet not meant for her age group.

While it raises questions over the supervision of minors at schools, the tragedy brought into sharp focus the actions of the Department of Basic Education in eradicating pit latrine toilets at schools.

In 2013, legislation was passed compelling government departments to ensure that by November 2016, all schools have access to water, sanitation and electricity; all pit latrines were replaced with safe and adequate sanitation; and schools built from mud and asbestos were replaced.

But two separate studies published by Amnesty International – the first released in 2020 and the second in 2021 – reveal that the government has failed to meet these targets. Reports of children falling into pit latrines with fatal consequences have been published nationwide since the publication of these reports.

The 2021 report, entitled Broken and Unequal The State of Education in South Africa, describes the country’s education system as one of the most unequal school systems in the world.

However, the death of another learner in a pit latrine brings to the fore the issue of infrastructure provision and the failure of the Department of Basic Education to tackle this challenge for the past decade.

In 2018, according to government statistics, the number of schools with pit latrines was 3 898, broken down as follows: 1 598 in the Eastern Cape, 156 in the Free State, 1365 in KwaZulu-Natal, 507 in Limpopo, 127 in Mpumalanga, 145 in the North West with zero in Gauteng, Northern Cape and Western Cape.

According to the statistics for 2018, out of 23,471 public schools, 19% had illegal pit latrines for sanitation, with another 37 schools had no sanitation facilities at all; 86% had no laboratory, 77% had no library, 72% had no internet access, and 42% had no sports facilities. Two hundred thirty-nine schools lacked any electricity.

The Amnesty International Report says these shortcomings breach the government’s international human rights obligations and its Minimum Norms and Standards for educational facilities.

As the government continues to miss its upgrading targets, Amnesty International’s research in Gauteng and Eastern Cape found numerous examples of schools with poor infrastructure and lacking basic facilities.

These issues impact the enjoyment of the right to education and pupils’ other rights, such as water, sanitation, privacy and dignity, as highlighted by their testimonies.

One of the critical infrastructure issues is poor sanitation which impacts a range of rights, including Education, water and sanitation, health, privacy and dignity. Amnesty International researchers found numerous examples of poorly maintained, broken or unsanitary toilets, including pit latrines.

Even though a critical requirement of the 2013 Minimum Norms and Standards is, that plain pit latrines are eradicated.

By the beginning of 2019, nearly 4,000 schools were still using pit latrines, 117 of which were single pits covered with a wooden or concrete slab with a drop hole with a structure around it for shelter and privacy. These largely continue in schools serving poorer black communities in rural areas, particularly in the Eastern Cape and KZN.

Despite some limited improvements, the infrastructure condition in many schools still needs to improve, and delays in infrastructure improvements remain a significant obstacle to realising the right to education for millions of learners.

Beyond the survey data, issues of particular concern that Amnesty International witnessed or was told about during field research included: dangerous sanitation infrastructure, continued use of pit toilets, lack of sufficient toilets for the number of pupils in line with the learner-to-toilet ratio of the Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure of 1:30.

Additionally, the lack of adequate sanitation can cause embarrassment and shame among pupils impacting their rights to privacy and dignity: many toilet cubicles without locks, and 9% of the pit latrines did not have pit covers, allowing pests to infiltrate and spread contamination, only 18% of the pupils consulted thought the toilets were sufficiently private; and only 35% of schools had basins for handwashing, and only half of the basins were functioning.

Most seriously, pit latrines have caused the death of learners. Following two recent tragic cases of Michael Komape and Lumka Mketwa, who fell into and drowned in dilapidated school pit toilets President Ramaphosa in March 2018, ordered the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga to conduct a full audit of school facilities with unsafe structures, including sanitation within one month and to present a plan within three months to rectify the challenges as an interim emergency measure before rolling out proper infrastructure.

In December 2019, the Appeals Court awarded Michael Komape’s family R1 million in damages to be paid by the DBE for emotional shock.

In another case before the Limpopo High Court in Polokwane, the Limpopo Education Department indicated that, as of July 2018, 1,658 schools had sanitation needs, with 1,489 of them having pit toilets on site, comprising 17,144 seats. The Limpopo Education Department added that, with its current budget, it would take an estimated 14 years to replace all pit toilets in the province’s public schools.

The government’s evidence shows that it continues to fail to meet the 2013 targets, with thousands of schools still impacted. According to the DBE’s own National Education Infrastructure Management System (NEIMS) report published in January 2018, there were still 37 schools lacking any sanitation facilities.

Despite the 2013 Minimum Norms and Standards requiring that plain pit latrines are eradicated, they continue to be widespread. Indeed, the NEIMS January 2018 report stated that up to 8,702 out of a total of 23,471 (37%), schools were still using them.

In April 2018, the DBE itself confirmed that there were 3,532 pit toilets in schools across the country, and about R7.8 billion (US$ 542 million) was needed to address the sanitation backlog.252

A subsequent audit put the figure at 3,898 for schools where pit toilets were the only form of sanitation and another 3,040 where they remained alongside other forms of sanitation.

In another interview, according to the Amnesty International report, the DBE Minister stated: “We have to re-prioritize the infrastructure budget of R7 billion (US$ 487 million) per annum to deal with sanitation problems. For instance, Limpopo province alone needs about R3 billion (US$ 209 million) to deal with sanitation problems. However, our infrastructure budget has been cut by R3.5 billion (US$ 243 million).”

Asked to comment on the pit latrine death of the pupil in the Eastern Cape, DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said Minister Motshekga would be hosting a media conference on Tuesday to address a range of issues around school infrastructure.

INSIDE EDUCATION

EDWIN NAIDU

SOUTH Africa’s R16.5 billion student debt crisis will continue to escalate with the renewed threat of shutdowns and violence at tertiary institutions, warn senior education experts Enver Motala and Salim Vally.

Both academics argue that the recent protests at the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Cape Town, the University of KwaZulu Natal and the Durban University of Technology, among other tertiary institutions, have arisen from various issues.

These include registration fees, the restrictive admission policies affected by student debt, accommodation and housing, food and hunger, transport and other necessities in a learning environment.

“Even more fundamentally, they concern the much-vaunted claims about the ‘transformation’ of universities and the relationship between the university and society. Once again, we see the possibility of more shutdowns and violence signalled using ‘security’ guards and pepper spray, interdicts and condemnations and the inevitable resistance that this will bring from students,” said Motala and Vally.

Motala is a research associate of the Centre for Education Rights and Transformation at the University of Johannesburg, and Vally is a professor at UJ’s Education Faculty.

Motala and Vally said that the current round of protests was entirely predictable, a view they shared during the 2015 #feesmustfall uprising by students in protest against the increase in student fees when they warned that the promise of “free education” would come back to haunt the government.

“That’s because leaders fail to understand what’s at stake in the demands for genuinely free quality education for all. University administrators expected the government student Funding Agency – the National Students Financial Aid Scheme – to solve the affordability problem. But the scheme, which the organisation monitoring tax abuse has noted, has spent more than R166-million on office rental space despite cutting back on subsidies for student accommodation,” they said.

According to Motala and Vally, NSFAS will not resolve the fundamental question students continue to place before the nation.

“And no amount of goodwill and the charitable work of individuals, philanthropies, SRCs and agencies trying to fill the gap will resolve it sustainably either. At the end of 2021, student debt had increased to R16.5-billion and will continue to spiral upwards at the present rate.”

Instead, Motala and Vally suggest that the effect of the proposed profit-generating loan scheme will deepen the pockets of billionaires (and the institutions they control) and increase the indebtedness of the poor and marginalised.

“All this confirms again that those in power have learnt very little from the past and will continue to cling to the capricious hope that somehow the problem will go away. Yet the underlying reasons for the student’s struggles are no less than a continuation of the same fundamental causes provoking the same consequences. They are a combination of the austerity policies of the government, to which university executives have acquiesced, the ill-fated logic of university corporatisation and the absence of any sense of democratic accountability to the wider public of the university, especially, but not only to the communities of the most marginalised in our society.”

Motala and Vally warned against the grudging and opportunistic application of the fee ‘exemption’ applying to some students only on the false assumption that it would be regressive to apply ‘free education’ universally.

“We set out the arguments why this was bound to fail.”

“Now even policy-makers proclaim that they are concerned about the fate of the ‘missing middle’, that cohort of students are not being supported by the student aid – exactly what we had warned would be an inevitable consequence of government’s prevarications. For the great majority of students, the present situation engenders numerous insecurities and traumas, a consequence of not knowing what will happen next, the often-thwarted attempt to complete university studies to get a job to repay debt, including a host of other socio-psychological effects on students, and indeed on their teachers and supervisors.”

Motala and Vally said that the failure to appreciate the implications of ignoring the compelling case for free quality education for all as set out in our and other submissions to the Heher Commission would only deepen the subjugation and marginalisation of those communities most vulnerable to the laws of the market privileging (once again) only the socio-political elite while entrenching unequal relations between rich and poor.

“Austerity is possibly the most powerful instrument in the hands of such elites who are turning societies into rich picking grounds for the appropriation (and expropriation) of the public good through the cruel and unthinking logic of the power of global elites including financial institutions who benefit from the interest paid on student loans.”

They warn that university leaders, who ought to have seen these consequences from at least the protests of 2015, appear to be blinded by their roles as managers of the process of knowledge corporatisation.

“Universities should not renege on their responsibility to submit to the validating criteria of the public good – that is, the right of citizens in a democratic society to demand that those in power are open to democratic public accountability. For universities, given their much-proclaimed role in the defence of intellectual freedom, it demands a critical orientation to the power of fiat. It requires their commitment to public knowledge production and education untrammelled by the disfigurement of the corporate injunction. It demands the acceptance and promotion of a wider,
more enduring and conscientious commitment to public accountability.”

On Thursday, days after tension flared on campus, the University of the Witwatersrand said in a statement that the Vice-Chancellor and Principal and members of management met with the current members of the Students’ Representative Council. Both parties agreed to de-escalate the situation and continue with engagements to resolve matters.

“We will continue with talks as we try to find a way forward.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

INSIDE EDUCATION REPORTER

SAMKELO Nzama, a third-year Bachelor of Arts student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), embarked on a solo run on 5 March from Johannesburg to KwaMaphumulo, outside Durban.

The run, which ends on 20 March, spans 16 days, with an average of 42km per day and a total of 672km.

The aim is to raise funds for Nzama to start a non-profit organisation to promote agriculture and keep his hometown of KwaMaphumulo ecologically green.

Nzama is also the deputy chairperson of UKZN’s Athlete Club.

“Running is my life, and I believe that by doing this run, I can transform the lives of community members,” he said.

“KwaMaphumulo or Kranskop is a rural area known for sugarcane harvesting. People in the area depend on agriculture for a living. I am saddened that the waste in our communities kills our livestock and crops. People are unaware of how to manage waste ecologically, and eventually, it washes into our rivers. Tin cans lying around often injure cattle and donkeys. Plastic and paper are eaten by livestock, causing sickness or death,” Nzama said.

To donate, contact Nzama via email at nzamasamkelo@gmail.com or WhatsApp/Call: 060 955 1400.

INSIDE EDUCATION REPORTER

THE University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Bristol (UoB) have launched two exciting initiatives – the UCT-UoB professorship programme and a fellowship programme for early career researchers. 
 
UCT has a long and rich history of collaboration with various partners across the educational, societal and governmental spheres – nationally and internationally.

The launch of the two initiatives with UoB is part of a partnership that has grown into one of the most important and rewarding for each university. 
 
Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Sue Harrison said: “Our longstanding relationship with the University of Bristol has its genesis in our common membership of the Worldwide University Alliance, strengthened by our co-leadership of the World Universities Network (WUN) Global Africa Group.

This thriving bilateral relationship launched the Research Beyond Borders initiative in July 2019: a cohort of eight cotutelle PhD researchers working between the two universities in the fields of public health and poverty.” 
 
Harrison said one of the elements that have underpinned the partnership is a common set of strategic values and a shared commitment to social justice. These are embedded in a new initiative announced this week following the UCT Vice-Chancellor’s Open Lecture by UoB VC Professor Evelyn Welch.
 
The first strand of this new initiative is the UCT–UoB Professorship Programme. Each university will award a professorship to three researchers for three years. These researchers will have the opportunity to spend up to six months a year at the partner university, working within one of three themes that the two universities have jointly identified.
 
The first of the three themes is “Hidden histories”. In this theme, UCT and the UoB will encourage selected researchers to explore the production of critical histories that make visible the often invisible and challenge the historical narratives of the powerful.

The second theme, “Climate change impacts and opportunities for health”, will offer selected researchers the opportunity to explore how climate change impacts health and to identify solutions that can reduce the impact of climate change on health and improve health outcomes, including at the city scale.
 
The third theme, “Environmental and social sustainability”, will encourage the exploration of a broad range of fields in which UCT and the UoB have complementary strengths, including (but not limited to) poverty and inequality, educational access, energy use and conservation, wastewater and water quality, as well as biodiversity and natural resources.
 
The second strand of the initiative is the UCT–UoB Fellowship Programme. Both universities believe in the importance of supporting their early career researchers to build their international experience and profile and take advantage of each institution’s possibilities.

Three early- to mid-career researchers from each institution will spend a maximum of three months a year, over two years, at the partner university. The fellows may focus on any research area, not restricted to the three themes specified as part of the professorship programme. 
 
“These professors and fellows will be expected to co-publish and engage in joint activities such as lecturing. We also believe that, over time, this will lead to the co-supervision of postgraduate researchers and collaborative grant applications.
 
“We value this opportunity to collaborate with a Northern-based partner who is thoroughly committed to the importance of African-led research, both in Africa and globally. The opportunities embedded in this initiative will enrich the participants, strengthen the partnership between our two institutions, and enable the birth of exciting new research projects and the continuance and growth of existing ones,” concluded Harrison.

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INSIDE EDUCATION REPORTER

NELSON Mandela University has partnered with Alumni-in-Action (A-i-A), an initiative whose mission is to enable access to advanced mental health support for student survivors of Gender-Based-Violence (GBV).

This is through the organisation’s funding to allow survivors to have up to eight therapy sessions.
This chapter of A-i-A was launched on 8 March during a webinar.

A-i-A was co-founded by Zellah Fuphe, a University of Cape Town (UCT) alumnus and Sanda Nyoka, a current UCT student. It initially launched in partnership with UCT in August 2021.

Having witnessed the devastation of the murder of a young female UCT student in 2019, Fuphe and Nyoka felt compelled to advocate for an end to the negative impact of GBV by personally funding the project.

Fuphe said: “I believe in the power of education and its positive impact on society. Empowering tertiary students who otherwise may not be able to access services after trauma may hinder the completion of their studies. Helping these students is an important part of shaping a progressive society.”

The initiative with UCT has supported 27 student survivors to date, with 177 sessions booked with psychologists. Fuphe added that it was significant that the launch took place on 8 March, which is International Women’s Day, because GBV affects women from all walks of life.

A-i-A chose to partner with Nelson Mandela University for three years because of its progressive and innovative approach to supporting survivors of GBV. This includes its use of technology to monitor and identify GBV hotspots.

“A-i-A@Mandela is a partnership based on shared values and a strong commitment to put survivors first and bring care, hope and compassion to them,” said Fuphe.

She added that while A-i-A has provided the initial funding for A-i-A@Mandela to the tune of R150 000 for each of the three years, additional funding will enable the provision of support to more student survivors of GBV.

“We are grateful that Barloworld has heeded our call to action and generously pledged R250 000 towards A-i-A@Mandela. The donation is no surprise to A-i-A, as it further demonstrates Barloworld’s commitment to transformation and the equitable representation and inclusion of women in our society.”

Nelson Mandela University Vice-Chancellor Prof Sibongile Muthwa said the University “advocates for the equality and right of all to work and learn in a safe environment, free of gender-based harm and violations. The Alumni-in-Action project will enhance the programmes we have on campus that create awareness of Gender-Based Violence and those that support survivors.”

Prof Muthwa explained that the University’s Statement of Commitment is to have an inclusive institutional culture, which denounces all forms of behaviour in conflict with its values.

“To this end, Mandela University, as an engaged institution with a renewed commitment to actively fighting this ongoing GBV pandemic on our campuses, continues the work towards ensuring a safer and inclusive environment for all across the gender spectrum.”

Prof Andre Keet, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Engagement and Transformation at Mandela University, said: “We welcome this partnership with Alumni-in-Action. Collaboration and partnerships are needed to solve our society’s challenges.”

In addition, Emthonjeni Student Wellness and Student Health Services have developed a joint online case management system for recording GBV data to avoid duplication in reporting.

Analysis of the factors contributing to the GBV incidents reported to the Transformation Office has enabled the
University to provide integrated interventions to raise awareness and address these causal factors.

“In essence, A-i-A speaks to our values of Ubuntu and Social Justice and Equality. I want to commend the founders of this initiative for their altruism in putting their resources into this project and for taking the time to help others in need. This exemplifies the namesake of our University, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who worked selflessly for social justice and the good of others,” said Prof Keet.

 On Sunday, 12 February 2023, the Eastcape Midlands TVET College Students Busiwe Notyawe, Sesethu Dweba and Asanda Ngubo were murdered whilst socialising in a public entertainment venue.

According to preliminary investigations, the students were socialising at a sit-in place at Kwazakele when an unknown gunman forced the door of the house open and fired shots at them.

The motive for the killing is still under investigation.

At the time of their unfortunate death, these students were enrolled for N5 Management Assistant and Financial Management at the College’s Heath Park Campus in Qgeberha.

On Tuesday, 21st of February 2023, Lesego Tsindo, a 22-year-old male student at Sydney Maseko Community College, was stabbed to death close to where he lives.

On Thursday, 23rd of February 2023, Thabang Ndlovu, a 19-year-old male student at Aaron Moeti Community College, was also stabbed to death. Community members and fellow students found him lying on the sports ground near the Aaroo Moeti Community.

On Thursday, 23rd February 2023, three University of Fort Hare female students were mugged and assaulted on their way to the university’s Alice campus. One of the students was killed, and the other student was raped.

This gruesome incident occurred outside the university premises on the Tyhume river bridge that connects the town of Alice with the university campus.

Minister of Higher Education and Training, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande urged law
enforcement agencies to investigate all the circumstances that might have led to the death of these
students.

“We must recognise that our Post School Education and Training (PSET) sector is a microcosm of our greater society. This is demonstrated in the manifestation and many instances of reproduction of social pathologies on our campuses, such as rape, and violent murders, mostly against women,” said Minister Nzimande.

The Minister further encourage all the Vice Chancellors (VC) and TVET College Principals to continue to engage with the Department of Higher Education and Training on all security-related issues to enable the Department to engage with the Cabinet Security Cluster, particularly on security concerns that have an impact on the institution’s ability to perform their duties.

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