Staff Reporter

The Department of Basic Education and the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education is set to deliberate the consolidated National Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill report post public engagements and the submission of comments by 8 August 2023.

A clause-by-clause engagement will take place today 15 August, until 18 August, analysing the public hearings and the oral and written submissions to rephrase, reject or take forward all 56 clauses contained in the Bill.

This is an opportunity for the DBE to respond to comments and concerns raised during the hearings, whether in support of the Bill or not. Parliament will then decide whether further amendments are required to the current version of the BELA Bill. Following this process, the Bill will be presented to Parliament before it is signed into law by the President.

The Committee, accompanied by DBE officials, concluded Public Hearings across all nine provinces earlier this year. Public hearings commenced in the Limpopo Province on 24 February and finished in the Eastern Cape Province on 11 June 2023. This week, the Committee finalised and approved the provincial reports, ending with the Eastern and the Northern Cape public hearings.

The public hearings were necessary to enhance public involvement to impact positively the mandate of participatory democracy to inform, consult, involve and provide feedback to South Africans on the way forward in respect of the Bill. During the hearings, we provided information in Braille, and sign language interpreters assisted in an inclusive engagement to leave no one behind during the consultative process.

The Committee remains cognisant of the importance of public consultation in law-making, and we wanted to secure the integrity of this process. In addition, there has been a significant interest in the amendments as stakeholders and individuals are interested in ensuring a functional educational system for the children of this country; thus, all plans had to be in place to cater for this interest. The Committee is now satisfied that Parliament’s internal units have addressed all the operational risks.

The Committee received oral submissions from 31 organisations from 8 – 29 November 2022. Some organisations support the Bill; some contest the Bill, and those feel that specific clauses need to be amended or removed.

The BELA Bill proposes to amend the South African Schools Act (SASA) of 1996 and the Employment of Educators Act (EEA) of 1998 to align them with developments in the education landscape and to ensure that systems of learning are put in place in a manner that gives effect to the right to primary education enshrined in section 29(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.

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Staff Reporter

Parents tread a delicate line during the high-pressure Matric study and exam time. On the one hand, you want to be motivated for optimal performance every step of the way, but it’s easy to tip over into applying too much pressure on an already stressed-out teen.

Parents need to have an accurate take on their child’s unique coping mechanisms, as it’s not uncommon for teens to be adept at masking anxiety and stress. In other words, the teen presenting a carefree, even careless front may be doing this to hide strong, fear-based emotions they haven’t yet learnt to process.

Ziyanda Khumalo, a SACAP (South African College of Applied Psychology) Student Support and Development Advisor, emphasises the importance of distinguishing between pressuring and motivating children.

“If you notice your child is frequently anxious, stressed, or even exhibiting signs of fear, it might indicate that they feel pressured. Your child may be overly focused on avoiding failure rather than striving for success. Perfectionism and frequent self-criticism may also be signs of too much pressure. There can be physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, trouble sleeping or changes in appetite. Procrastinating and losing interest in enjoyable activities can also be signs of reduced well-being,” she said.

Ziyanda is on the SACAP panel of experts presenting the free SACAP Parents’ Guide to Matric support webinar from 10:00 to 11:30 on Saturday, 19 August 2023.

South African Matric parents are invited to join the conversation by registering for the free one-and-a-half-hour webinar here. The panellists’ focus is on practical ways to navigate exam stress during the upcoming months.

SACAP Educator and Educational Psychologist Jacques Viljoen said parents must be able to identify and understand stress in children. “Children often do not express their feelings and emotions as transparently as adults. This can make it challenging for parents to discern when their child is experiencing stress, anxiety, or other negative emotions related to exams. This means that active engagement and informed observation by parents are essential in understanding and supporting their child’s emotional well-being.”

Jacques will unpack tools such as active listening, observation and using open-ended questions during the webinar.

Another key aspect of parental support during Matric exams is providing adequate support and resources. Jacques said. “Academic pressure and competition can be overwhelming for children. Parents need to ensure that they’re not just focusing on grades but also the holistic well-being of their children. It helps when parents continually remind their children that their worth is not solely based on exam results. Parents can focus on celebrating their efforts, resilience, and progress, not just the outcome,” he said.

Counsellor Salma Kathrada will be joining the SACAP panel. She works with the well-being of families and will focus on practical ways to build healthy relationships and maintain family balance during exam time.

Ziyanda said Open and non-judgemental conversations are the fuel for traversing the Matric landscape as smoothly as possible.

“To promote motivation rather than pressure, parents can set realistic expectations and help their teens set achievable academic and study goals aligned to their abilities. Focus on encouraging and supporting appropriate time off for exercise, social interaction and relaxation. Offer emotional support, reassurance and a safe space for your child to express their feelings. Celebrating small wins creates frequent positive reinforcement and builds confidence.

“Some parents may need to focus on letting go of the reins a bit and providing more autonomy so that their teen has some control over their study schedule and can make decisions that increase their responsibility. In the same vein, aim to encourage intrinsic motivation so your child can discover their reasons for studying, which can lead to more sustainable self-motivation. Remember that every child is unique, and it’s important to maintain open communication so that you understand their needs and feelings during the exam season. While Matric is, without doubt, a challenging time, it is potentially also a time of learning, growing and deepening relationships,” Ziyanda added.

Parents are invited to join the conversation, SACAP Parents’ Guide to Matric support webinar from 10:00 to 11:30 on Saturday, 19 August 2023. Registration is free, and you can RSVP on Zoom here.

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Staff Reporter

National Archives and Records Service of South Africa to host the xxvii Eastern and Southern Africa regional branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) biennial conference

The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA), in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation (GDSACR) and the University of South Africa (UNISA) is hosting the XXVII Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) Biennial Conference in Boksburg, Gauteng, South Africa which began on Monday and continues until 18 August 2023 at the Birchwood Hotel.

The conference was preceded by a pre-conference training workshop for junior archivists from 14-15 August, led by knowledgeable experts from the sector.

“We expect 40 Junior Archivists from the region to attend this important training. The main conference programme will be convened on 16 and 17 August. It will be attended by practitioners and academics in the archives and records management sector from the region, which includes Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Angola, and Seychelles. Under the theme “Archives, Records and Memory in Digital Spaces and Global Chaos”, the conference will seek to address current issues and look at solutions to deal with disruption and chaos caused by 4IR and AI within the records and archive management environment,” said the Department in a statement.

There will also be a handover event of the digitised records of the constitutional development process of South Africa’s Road to Democracy.

The project was successfully implemented through a partnership between NARSSA and the Constitution Hill Trust. Honouring this event will be Justice Albie Sachs, renowned struggle icon and one of the founding members of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, who will also be the guest speaker at the event.

Chairperson of the Constitution Hill Trust, Mr Valli Moosa (former Minister of Constitutional Development in the Cabinet of Nelson Mandela), will also be in attendance.

The digitised collections include the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA), Constitutional Assembly (CA), Multiparty Negotiations (NEG). The digitised records will be made available to the public through the NARSSA website (www.nationalarchives.gov.za), and the Constitution Hill Trust website at (www.wethepeoplesa.org).

The Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture will receive the digitised records on 16 August 2023.

Heads of national archives from the region will also have their business meetings during this period. This conference promises to be a melting pot of archive and records management experts, administrators and practitioners, and the media is invited to the opening ceremony on the 16th of August, 2023.

For more information about the XXVII Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) Biennial Conference, including registration details and the conference programme, please visit the official conference website at: https://nssc.dsac.gov.za/esarbica/about_us.php

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Staff Reporter

The University of Cape Town (UCT) will host the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Fort Hare (UFH), Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, who will present the 57th annual TB Davie Memorial Lecture.

Professor Buhlungu, a former Dean of Humanities at UCT, will deliver the lecture organised by the UCT Academic Freedom Committee on Wednesday, 23 August 2023 in the New Lecture Theatre, Upper Campus at 18:00. It is titled “Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy: A View from the Thyume Valley”.

The late 1950s marked a negative turning point for higher education in South Africa. The Extension of University Act 45 of 1959 set the country on a path of ethnic segregation of university education whose effects remain more than 60 years later and after almost 30 years of democracy.

From 1959 eminent academics and activists were invited to present the TB Davie Memorial Lecture. Significantly for Buhlungu, Professor ZK Matthews – who graduated at UFH in 1924 and was an academic and political activist – gave the third lecture in 1961. Titled “African Awakening and the Universities”, Professor Matthews’ lecture made a link between academic freedom and the quest for liberation in South Africa and the continent.

UCT Vice-Chancellor (interim) Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy explained: “Professor Buhlungu, in this lecture, will identify four moments that marked the introduction of ethnic education and assault on academic freedom at UFH – the Extension of University Act of 1959, the appointment of Broederbonder Professor JM De Wet in 1968, the closure and subsequent annexation of the Federal Theological Seminary to UFH in 1974/5, and the handing over of the university to the Ciskei Bantustan in 1981.

“These developments had a debilitating effect on the university, which the current administration still has to contend with today.”

Buhlungu will present four propositions about academic freedom and institutional autonomy in the current conjuncture in South Africa. He will, among others, argue that academic freedom and institutional autonomy is contextual in that it means different things to different institutions because of our different histories, and that in the current period striving for academic freedom and institutional autonomy in one university is a futile exercise.

“Through the lecture, Professor Buhlungu will challenge people in the sector – staff, academics and administrators – to rethink the notions of academic freedom and institutional autonomy in the modern age,” said Reddy.

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Staff Reporter

Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, praised women educators during the 2023 Women’s Month under the theme: “Empowering Minds: Celebrating Women and the Joy of Reading”.

“May I take this opportunity to wish a Happy Women’s Month to all women in the Education Sector, both in our mainstream schools and Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres,” she said.

Motshekga added that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) wishes to elevate the celebration of the remarkable achievements of women in education, and the power and authority they possess to inculcate in our children, the joy of reading.

“The Basic Education Sector sees this National Commemoration of Women’s Month as a perfect opportunity to acknowledge the incredible female teachers who dedicate their lives to shaping and empowering young minds and instilling a love for learning, sometimes under historically extremely challenging circumstances,” the Minister said.

“In classrooms across our nation, these exceptional women educators are catalysts for fostering a love for reading at an early age, as well as cultivating a healthy reading environment for learners. It is through the power of literature that our young learners discover empathy, resilience, and the strength to overcome obstacles.”

The Minister urged educators to take a leaf from our past teacher heroines, the likes of Frances Goitsemang Baard, Nosipho Dastile and the revered Albertina Sisulu, who, whilst qualified as a nurse by profession but with a strong desire for quality education, used her home in Orlando West Soweto as a makeshift classroom in the 1950s.

“On behalf of the Department and the Sector, I salute and give thanks to all of you remarkable Women educators, right through to our ECD centres and wish you a Happy Women’s Month,” she said.

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Ronewa Makhesha

MEC Chiloane is saddened by the fatal shooting of Siza Mbhalati, one of the Deputy Chief Education Specialists who was gunned down in his driveway at his home in Protea Glen, Soweto on Thursday.

The 52-year-old Mbhalati worked for the Labour Relations Unit in Joburg South District and was responsible for facilitating labour-related disputes at schools in the District.

“Information at our disposal suggests that Mr Mbhalati was allegedly followed home from work on Thursday afternoon by unknown suspects, who then shot him about 8 times in his driveway while he was still in his car,” Chiloane said.

“We are saddened by the unfortunate death of one of our dedicated public servants who served the department with honour and dignity. On behalf of the department, we wish to extend our sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones.”

“In the same breath, we condemn this level of lawlessness and call for the speedy apprehension of these brazen criminals,” said MEC Chiloane.

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Lerato Mbhiza 

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has urged immediate interventions by the Department of Higher Education and Training, National Treasury, and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority on the latest National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) chaos. Deeply distressing reports paint a picture of endless chaos at NSFAS.

Last month, NSFAS introduced a direct payment method which allows them to pay student allowances directly into bank accounts.

The new payment system also allows NSFAS to speed up the defunding of undeserving beneficiaries. 

Many students have expressed dissatisfaction with the new payment system, with the anger leading to protests on various university campuses nationwide.

Last week, students from the University of Pretoria and the Tshwane University of Technology and other universities marched to the Union Buildings to hand over a memorandum of demands.

The situation quickly turned violent, with frustrated students blocking roads and police firing rubber bullets to disperse them.    

“NSFAS has long been infamous for delays in payments reaching students and the universities and colleges who depend upon it. Many students have been wrongly defunded by NSFAS and then have had to wait from 6 months to years for their cases to be resolved, Matthew said.

“There is no excuse in a 21st-century economy for this level of chaos to be allowed to continue. The Department of Higher Education and National Treasury need to intervene and put in place a payment system that will ensure students, universities, and colleges receive their payments timeously and without scandalous deductions by private companies profiteering at the expense of the poor.

“If such a system can exist at the South African Revenue Service, then it should not require a genius to replicate it at NSFAS. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority needs to investigate the deductions fleeced from students’ allowances by these companies and ensure that they are refunded.”

North West university second year engineering student Tumelo Boikanyo told Inside Education that the new system is not working in the best interests of student. 

“Since we use Noraccoi, it is increasingly hard to access the NSFAS funds. Part of the problem is that the withdrawal fee is R150, at worst, using the mobile Application cost money- this is a direct contradiction to how banks Applications work. This new system is not wrong and the minister of education needs to do something about this,” Boikanyo said. 

A University of Limpopo third year education student Koena Motloung said the new direct payment system should be reviewed immediately. 

“The ezaga system is a problem because of the extra fees charged.  I don’t understand why NSFAS changed the system to ezaga.”

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Staff Reporter

THE Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture (DSAC) is pleased to announce that the Silapha Wellness Intervention Programme –initiated in 2022 to support artists and athletes with critical access to well-being support – will now provide more comprehensive support to meet essential needs.

The programme is run by Workforce Healthcare – a trusted industry provider of healthcare, training, wellness, financial services, and lifestyle benefits. It will provide access to a 24/7/365 call centre through which those in the creative and sporting industries can access counselling and platforms to receive information and education on key well-being matters such as mental health, substance abuse, financial well-being, legal guidance, and nutrition.

The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, says: “There is a critical need for those who engage in the creative and sporting fields – many of whom do not have permanent employment or healthcare support – for counselling services, education and community support around wellbeing matters that heavily impact them. We have lost too many valuable people within the creative and sports communities – as they did not have access to the support they needed. One life lost is one too many.”

While Silapha Wellness Intervention Programme has supported numerous artists and athletes, the department saw a strong need for the programme to provide a more comprehensive service and access to expert counselling services and rigorously monitor the programme’s success and impact. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture believes that the programme, which now offers expert counselling support and strong preventative support, will be a life-saving resource for our artists and athletes.

Workforce Healthcare spokesperson and Executive Director: of Wellness, Nevania Naidoo, says that the programme is live with counselling services and, over the next two months, will launch platforms and social media communities that will provide informative articles, videos, and live events as well as courses and self-assessment tools.

“There is a significant need for support around mental well-being, substance abuse, preventable illness, financial and legal advice, gender-based violence and discrimination, to name a few of the issues our artists and athletes need support with. The programme offers intervention and counselling but also education to ensure prevention.”

The service aims to develop a strong net of support and critical intervention to ensure that lives are not lost and that access to critical support is easily accessible and effective. “Our artists and athletes are valuable members of our communities and are so often heroic in their ability to uplift and inspire others. At the same time, they are extremely vulnerable to life challenges due to the nature of their work. I hope that our creative and sporting community will make full use of this service and that those who face challenges receive the support and guidance they need to thrive,” concluded Minister Kodwa.

For artists and athletes who require support or access to services or information on the programme:

Kindly contact the toll-free call centre number: 0800 007 088. SMS/Please call/WhatsApp: 071 681 1247.

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Staff Reporter

Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of UNU, has been appointed to the United Nations Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board.

Announced by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 3 August, the Advisory Board will also include Chief Scientists of UN System entities (UNEP, FAO, WHO, WMO, and UNESCO), the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, and esteemed external scientists.

Professor Thuli Madonsela, Professor of Law at Stellenbosch University, has also been appointed to serve on the board.

The Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board will play a crucial role in providing scientific advice to the Secretary-General and his senior management team to inform policies and decisions amid the rapid development of science and technology.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has created a new Scientific Advisory Board to advise UN leaders on breakthroughs in science and technology and how to harness the benefits of these advances and mitigate potential risks.

“Scientific and technological progress can support efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals — but they are also giving rise to ethical, legal and political concerns that require multilateral solutions,” Mr Guterres said.

“My Scientific Advisory Board will strengthen the role of the United Nations as a reliable source of data and evidence and provide advice to me and my senior management team.”

The Advisory Board will comprise seven eminent scholars alongside the Chief Scientists of United Nations System entities, the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, and the Rector of the United Nations University. The Board will be associated with a network of diverse scientific institutions worldwide.

“The Secretary-General’s decision to establish a Scientific Advisory Board underscores the unwavering dedication of UN leaders to the principles of the scientific method. I look forward to supporting the UN Secretary-General in raising the voice for science-based policy and decision-making,” expressed Professor Yoshua Bengio, Scientific Director of Mila — Quebec AI Institute and Professor at the Université de Montréal.

The primary objective of the Board is to provide independent insights on trends at the intersection of science, technology, ethics, governance and sustainable development. Through their collaborative efforts, the Board and its Network will support United Nations leaders in anticipating, adapting to and leveraging the latest scientific advancements in their work for people, the planet and prosperity.

“By ensuring that UN policies and programmes are founded on the best available scientific evidence and expertise, the Board will play a crucial role in navigating the complex moral, social, and political dilemmas presented by rapid scientific and technological progress,” said Ismahane Elouafi, Chief Scientist at the Food and Agriculture Organization.

With the formation of the Scientific Advisory Board, the United Nations takes a momentous stride towards better-bridging science and policy. This initiative marks a vital step towards embracing the full potential of science and technology for the collective benefit of all Member States. Through collaborative efforts and inclusive representation, the Board will bolster the UN’s capacity to address the intricate challenges and opportunities at the forefront of science and technology, fostering a path towards a more equitable and prosperous future for all.

Centred around a hybrid model, the Board will comprise a group of seven eminent scientists with a track record in applying their expertise, including in the humanities, and another group of Chief Scientists of different UN entities, the UN University Rector, and the Tech Envoy. The Board itself will act as a hub for a network of scientific networks. The objective is to have a better interface between the scientific community and decision-making in the UN.

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Staff Reporter

Language specialists and academia agree that language policy needs to be reviewed to enhance multi-lingual education and the importance of mother tongue teaching during the first six years of formal schooling. 

During the engagement session, conference delegates and presenters acknowledged the complexity of translating policy into practice. They saw the Conference last week as an invaluable platform for role players and stakeholders to explore the potential and advantages of implementing multilingual practices in South African classrooms.

Presenting the Incremental Introduction of African Languages (IIAL) Strategy during the Conference, Chief Director for Curriculum Implementation and Monitoring, Dr Moses Simelane, indicated that “the IIAL strategy assisted the DBE in promoting the use of African languages within the schooling system by introducing learners incrementally to learning a previously marginalised African language, particularly the former model C Schools. 

“This was aimed at ensuring that all non-African home language speakers were taught to speak an African Language for communicative purposes and to foster social cohesion in school communities. The strategy is, undoubtedly, a cornerstone in redressing the past linguistic imbalances focusing on all official South African languages”.

In his presentation on the rapid assessment of the Language in Education Policy (LiEP), Prof Leketi Makalela, Director for Hub Multilingual Education and Literacies at Wits University, indicated: “LiEP revealed an urgent need to support African Languages as Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) beyond Grade 3. Most Black African learners experience the transition to English as LoLT from Grade 4. However, research has shown that the transition to English is considered premature and disruptive to learning. Translanguaging which refers to using more than one language and teaching in the same lesson is the de facto classroom practice, but assessment regimes do not match it. For many Black African learners, English as a medium of instruction, when introduced too early, can become a barrier to learning. Yet, some myths overstate the importance of English as a language of learning and teaching”.

According to the Old Mutual Foundation, the partnership between the DBE and the private sector should be centred around Early Grade literacy and numeracy, Mother tongue teaching and learning; 

Supporting the DBE’s Language Policy Unit and developing Xitsonga benchmarks. 

“We pledge to collaborate with universities on an entry-level teachers’ course in early grade isiXhosa literacy; reading pedagogy course in isiXhosa, Sesotho and EFAL. We are currently implementing the LITNUM project that has already benefited 25,000 learners, 500 teachers, and 200 subject advisors with a reading for meaning focusing on strengthening Instructional Leadership in 3 provinces”.

In his presentation on the English Medium Education in Sub-Saharan Africa, rethinking the context, language, and quality of primary education, Dr Harry Kuchah highlighted: “There are 283 languages in Cameroon. Education is called bilingual, but this is English and French, which were perceived as neutral languages that could unite the country; instead, they proved to be divisive. Parents recognise the value of local languages but prefer an international language like English; however, it is easier for an isiXhosa child to learn through isiZulu than through English”.

The Conference culminated in five breakaway sessions where participants were expected to make valuable contributions to the review of the Language Policy implemented in the South African schooling system.

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