PHUTI MOSOMANE

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has successfully interdicted the Special Investigating Unit from enforcing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s proclamation to investigate allegations of academic fraud emanating from qualifications he received at Fort Hare University.

Mabuyane’s application in court is in two parts. In the first part, he wanted the court to interdict the SIU pending a full review, which was granted on Tuesday.

In the second part of the application (review application), Mabuyane wants the overall SIU proclamation to be set aside and considered invalid and unlawful.

In terms of the order, the SIU is interdicted from enforcing Proclamation R 84 of 2022 authorising the Unit to investigate allegations of maladministration in the affairs of Fort Hare University on matters relating to Mabuyane.

The investigation relating to Premier Mabuyane is interdicted pending the determination of Part B, which deals with the merits of the case in as far as the admission into and awarding of Masters degree.

On Tuesday, the court found that the President Cyril Ramaphosa’s proclamation doesn’t include the master’s programme and therefore, the SIU cannot extend its scope.

However, the Fort Hare University can still continue with its own investigation on Mabuyane’s controversial Master’s qualification.

“The interim interdict is not permanent as it will only endure up to the time when the review application is determined. Nothing stops the university from conducting its own investigation,” the court ruled.

Mabuyane briefly appeared at the Bisho High Court on Tuesday where he sought for the court to stop the SIU’s probe into his acceptance at Fort Hare’s master’s degree programme and whether he had the right qualifications, to be declared unlawful and stopped.

He went as far as calling the investigations “abuse and embarrassment”.

But the SIU has accused Mabuyane of not co-operate in their probe into his alleged illegitimate Master’s thesis.

SIU principal forensic auditor Bongani Tshuku told the court that the entity has found prima facie evidence showing that a team of university officials and researchers produced a thesis on behalf of Mabuyane.

The SIU fingered former university’s public administration faculty dean Prof Edwin Ijeoma and accused him of assisting Mabuyane to be “irregularly admitted into a Master’s programme.”

Both SIU and President Cyril Ramaphosa are opposing Mabuyane’s application.

In granting the interdict, Judge Thandi Norman also ruled that each party should bear their own costs.

The ruling is only a temporary relief for Mabuyane pending a full review application to be heard soon.

The SIU said it has noted a Bisho High Court order handed down by Judge T. V Norman on a matter brought by Mabuyane.

The SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the anti-corruption agency has studied the judgment and is happy that it does not interdict or suspends the Fort Hare University investigation in its entirety.”We are also optimistic that we will present our case when Part B of this matter is heard,” he said.

He added that the SIU is further encouraged by Paragraph 66 of the judgment which states that: “Where there is evidence that implicates unlawful conduct in so far as the Masters degree is concerned, there is nothing stopping the SIU from preparing a motivation as it did with the earlier Proclamation and request the President to proclaim that the registration for Masters degree, too, should be investigated.”

The judge also found that “although the applicant contends that the SIU was malicious, there is no evidence of such malice.”

Kganyago said the SIU will explore all legal options available to it.

INSIDE EDUCATION

STAFF REPORTER

St Martin’s School celebrated Youth Day 2023 and former educator Oliver Tambo’s legacy at the school with a sports festival that comprised twenty-four teams from schools across the city across two days (15/16 June 2023)

The event’s theme was to illustrate the unifying power of sport, particularly amongst young South Africans.

St Martin’s Acting School Principal Warren Venter said: “This festival is important in teaching our kids how to be citizens of the country, learning things like conflict management, dealing with other people, important qualities. Sport has the potential to unify a nation and bring people together.”

Venter added: “You learn how to deal with other people. And being a human is dealing with other people. Sport is the breeding ground of learning about this and learning to be who you are.”

St Martin’s School also celebrated the legacy of one of its most prominent former educators, Oliver Tambo, who noted: “The children of any nation are its future. A country, a movement, a person that does not value its youth and children does not deserve it.” The school continues to take its lead and embrace Tambo’s legacy and wisdom.

INSIDE EDUCATION

EDWIN NAIDU

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) is critical to understanding the challenges facing science councils in Africa, and inspiring them on how to make better decisions because of it, said Rebecca Hanlin, the University of Johannesburg Professor of Innovation and Sustainable Development.

Highlighting the importance of the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), which has been in place since 2015, she said Africa makes up 15% of the world’s population and 5% of the world’s GDP

But the continent accounts for just 1.3% of the globe’s investment in Research and Development and holds only 0.1% of the world’s patents. Africa has 198 researchers per million people compared to 428 in Chile, 4,260 in Canada, 4,269 in the United Kingdom and 4,663 in the United States.

“Innovation is endemic in Africa, and it has the chance to leapfrog other continents, but we do not have the systems and knowledge in place to achieve this yet,” she said.

Referring to the launch of the Uganda research outlook report, Hanlin said MEL helps understand what isn’t going as well and helps plan on how to solve those challenges and improve.

“The best-performing organisations are those that can look at challenges and see them as great opportunities for growth. MEL is the tool to enable that growth,” she said.

According to the Uganda research outlook report produced by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST), digital skills must be adapted to rapidly changing needs via Technical Vocational Education and Training.

The 2022 National Research Outlook Report, due for release in Kampala tomorrow by Dr Monica Munenero, the Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation, emphasised that Information, Communications Technology specialist training was a growing area within the TVET sector, offering new degrees and programs.

The skills acquired through such programs can advance a career at least as much as receiving a university degree. Providing theoretical education and on-the-job training can be particularly rewarding, said the report entitled Unlocking Uganda’s Research Potential for Long-Term Development and Prosperity.

The research outlook report was unveiled at the week-long Science Granting Councils Initiative Regional Meeting in Kampala, Uganda, which began on Monday to strengthen the capacity of science granting councils.

Present at the SGCI Regional Meeting were representatives of science councils from Namibia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya and Botswana.

TVET in Uganda is headed by a Commissioner and four assistant commissioners in charge of Technical & Vocational Education and Training, overseeing operations and management of 146 Government TVET Institutions and over 800 privately owned institutions.

The report said dual apprenticeship systems, centred on the idea of acquiring relevant skills and experience, can be beneficial.

More generally, because of the digital skills that become obsolete too quickly, TVET institutions should strive to teach broader specialisations and adaptable skills for fast-changing jobs, provide tools on how to manage one’s career and compose one’s qualification, and prepare for the market and for life rather than for a lifetime job.

Aligning curriculum to industry and employer needs and mapping curricula to learning outcomes relevant to labour market needs are keys to the successful delivery of skills that are in great demand and also to improving worker employability. The TVET system should take advantage of existing digital learning tools and resources and explore options for innovative, digital pedagogical approaches such as simulators and augmented or virtual reality.

The development and regular review and update of qualification frameworks can provide relevant support to validation and recognition of prior learning, including informal digital learning. For example, recognising competencies acquired through online coding courses may contribute to resolving coding skills shortages in Uganda.

In the report, the Council said that although it has not been a significant policy priority in the drive towards knowledge-led growth, vocational training must be seen as a reservoir for research.
Whereas there have been stellar examples from around the world on the role and contribution of vocational education as a driver of innovation and growth, this has yet to be the case in Uganda.

But, there is an emerging interest in vocational education due to the new opportunities that this type of education can provide. Between 2016-2019, for instance, 4,479 male students registered for physical and biological science diplomas more than the females, who were 1,825 students.

The UNCST has also embarked on a skilling program aimed at amplifying the contribution of targeted skilling of youths in new value chains for employment and sustainable development. Quality human capital or talent is needed to promote Uganda’s growth and position its excellence in the global marketplace.

Talent is also unconditional in pursuing STI targets and sustaining STI development towards building an efficiency-driven economy. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) talent in the country has been enhanced by intensifying postgraduate programs at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), which help promote R&D initiatives and provide a skilled workforce.

Besides the mainstream education system, the private sector has also positively contributed to the STEM education ecosystem of the country by increasing the number of STEM programs being provided.

INSIDE EDUCATION

STAFF REPORTER

Deputy President Paul Mashatile told hundreds gathered to commemorate Youth Day in Mangaung on Friday that collaboration across sectors is key to securing the country’s prosperity.

Named the National Youth Day Commemoration, this year’s theme is aimed at effecting positive youth development efforts from local, provincial and national levels in South Africa.

Mashatile said given that the majority of the country’s population is youth, it is incumbent upon all sectors of society to collaborate in equipping the youth with the skills necessary for development and our collective prosperity.

“If we fail to do so, we would have failed South Africa’s future, as young people represent the future, and it is our responsibility to secure it.

“As we work with the private sector, toward an inclusive economy that employs young people, we recognize that the path to an inclusive economy has not been simple, but like the youth of 1976, we are motivated by their undying spirit,” he said.

Mashatile said the government remains focused and determined to ensure that the youth have access to socioeconomic opportunities.

“Minister Dlamini-Zuma briefed me about the work we are doing to invest in youth that is being exhibited at the Opportunities Expo. She informed me that we are investing in real-time education, funding and mentorship opportunities that young people are now accessing.

“What was impressive was that the initiatives at the expo were led by the youth,” he said.

Mashatile said the government has placed the education and training of young people at the top of the national agenda.

Education is one of the most crucial enabling factors for attaining economic emancipation, he said.

“Over the years, the government has invested hugely toward a transformed education system.

“The government will continue to invest in the development of an inclusive education system in which children from low-income and working-class families also have access to quality education from the foundation phase and at higher education levels”.

Mashatile said the country has been investing in the modernisation of the delivery of education. This includes ensuring that curriculum content is responsive to the rising demand of skilled labour, high-speed internet access, and that educational delivery methods are now innovative.

The country has seen educational outcomes, particularly the improvement in output demonstrated by the province of Free State, which has held the top position for the longest time in terms of matric results.

As part of exciting new disciplines in schools, the Department of Basic Education system has introduced robotics and coding subjects at the foundation phase of learning.

This will improve reading for meaning and understanding of concepts at an early phase and thereby give young children a strong foundation for the future.

The Department of Basic Education is also introducing the Three-Stream Education system to ensure that not only academically oriented students benefit from education, but that learners can also choose the vocational or occupational stream that suits their needs.

In addition to Technical Mathematics, Technical Science, and Marine Sciences, the sector is introducing 13 new vocational disciplines. This is part of the Government’s aim to guarantee that schools not only encourage academic accomplishment but also vocational and occupational skills for young people.

To expedite the delivery of pertinent and acceptable skills, the government remains committed to providing essential resources and infrastructure from the earliest levels of basic education to the tertiary level, Mashatile said.

To guarantee that learners have access to the latest equipment, he said the government has recapitalized 540 of the potential 1,050 technical schools.

The programme focuses on youth entrepreneurs who are at intentional, promising and new stages of enterprise development.

Mashatile highlighted some of the achievements in the recent past, including;

2320 youth and youth-owned enterprises funded through financial interventions.
34209 youth-owned enterprises supported with non-financial development interventions.
6796 jobs created and sustained through supporting entrepreneurs and enterprises.
Furthermore, under the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, the Government has launched several youth development and empowerment initiatives to assist young people in entering the workforce.

Mashatile said the Presidential Employment Stimulus remains a crucial Government intervention to generate employment and livelihood opportunities, particularly at a time when the economy as a whole is not producing jobs at the required rate.

The Presidential Employment Stimulus builds on the many years of success of public employment programmes such as the Community Works Programme and the Expanded Public Works Programme.

During the last fiscal year, the stimulus enabled the creation of nearly 650,000 new jobs and thereby creating sources of income for the youth.

These opportunities were made available in numerous industries, including agriculture and across several other fields.

Of the people involved in the programme, 83 percent are youth. This brings the total number of participants in the Presidential Employment Stimulus since its launch in 2020 to over 1.2 million people.

More than 3.9 million young people have enrolled on the National Pathway Management Network, also known as SAYouth.mobi. This network provides a platform for young people to access learning and earning opportunities that are both all-inclusive and free of charge for data usage.

Close to 350, 000 young people have secured earning opportunities through the platform, with 68% of these being young women.

14 000 Technical and Vocational learners have secured workplace experience opportunities through the support of the Sector Education and Training Authorities in the Department of Higher Education and Training.

35 000 young people have secured non-financial support from the Department of Small Business Development and the National Youth Development Agency and close to 5 000 have received financial support to start and scale up their enterprises.

He said the government has successfully revitalised the National Youth Service programme and now runs one of the world’s largest National Youth Service programmes with 47 000 participants working across sectors such as Early Childhood Development, Sport, Arts and Culture, Nutrition and Digital Mapping.

INSIDE EDUCATION