Iran’s supreme leader said Monday that if a series of suspected poisonings at girls’ schools are proven to be deliberate the culprits should be sentenced to death for committing an “unforgivable crime.”

It was the first time Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, has spoken publicly about the suspected poisonings, which began late last year and have sickened hundreds of children.

Iranian officials only acknowledged them in recent weeks and have provided no details on who may be behind the attacks or what chemicals — if any — have been used. Unlike neighboring Afghanistan, Iran has no history of religious extremists targeting women’s education.

“If the poisoning of students is proven, those behind this crime should be sentenced to capital punishment and there will be no amnesty for them,” Khamenei said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

Authorities have acknowledged suspected attacks at more than 50 schools across 21 of Iran’s 30 provinces since November.

Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said over the weekend that “suspicious samples” had been gathered by investigators, without elaborating. He called on the public to remain calm and accused unnamed enemies of inciting fear to undermine the Islamic Republic.

Vahidi said at least 52 schools had been affected by suspected poisonings, while Iranian media reports have put the number of schools at over 60. At least one boy’s school reportedly has been affected.

Videos of upset parents and schoolgirls in emergency rooms with IVs in their arms have flooded social media.

Iran has imposed stringent restrictions on independent media since the outbreak of nationwide protests in September, making it difficult to determine the nature and scope of the suspected poisonings.

On Monday, Iranian media reported that authorities arrested a Qom-based journalist, Ali Pourtabatabaei, who had been regularly reporting on the suspected poisonings. The hard-line Kayhan newspaper in an editorial had called for the arrests of newspaper publishers who printed articles on the crisis critical of Iran’s theocracy.

The protests were sparked by the death of a young woman who had been detained by morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code. Religious hard-liners in Iran have been known to attack women they perceive as dressing immodestly in public. But even at the height of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, women and girls continued attending schools and universities.

The children affected in the poisonings have reportedly complained of headaches, heart palpitations, feeling lethargic or otherwise unable to move. Some described smelling tangerines, chlorine or cleaning agents.

Reports suggest at least 400 schoolchildren have fallen ill since November. Vahidi, the interior minister, said in his statement that two girls remain in hospital because of underlying chronic conditions. There have been no reported fatalities.

As more attacks were reported Sunday, videos were posted on social media showing children complaining about pain in the legs, abdomen and dizziness. State media have mainly referred to these as “hysteric reactions.”

The World Health Organization documented a similar phenomenon in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2012, when hundreds of girls across the country complained of strange smells and poisoning. No evidence was found to support the suspicions, and the WHO said it appeared to be “mass psychogenic illnesses.”

AP

INSIDE EDUCATION REPORTER

DESPITE the ban on corporal punishment more than 20 years ago, South African schools still use it as a form of discipline. In 1997, the Abolishing of Corporal Punishment Act, No. 33, was enacted.

But despite the ban, corporal punishment is still used as a form of discipline more than 20 years later, according to a recently released report by Statistics South Africa called Children Series Volume I Children exposed to maltreatment, 2021. 

Of those that reported experiencing violence at school, the most common form of violence experienced was corporal punishment by teachers.

In 2019, just over 1 million out of 13 million school-going children aged 5 – 17 years reported that they had experienced some form of violence. Of those who experienced violence at school, close to 84% experienced corporal punishment by teachers, followed by verbal abuse by teachers (13,7%) and physical violence by teachers (10,6%).

Between 2009 and 2019, the percentage of children who experienced verbal abuse by other learners increased by six percentage points from 18,1% in 2009 to 24,1% in 2019.

Apart from home, school is the most important place in most children’s lives.

Their experience of school will play a vital part in their lives and will determine their academic, social and, probably, their occupational future. However, many children’s school experiences consist of bullying and abuse from other children.

Violent disciplinary methods were used more on females than males.

In 2009, close to 90% of females were subjected to corporal punishment by teachers. By 2019, this figure reduced to 85,5%.

Similarly, the percentage of males who experienced corporal punishment reduced to 82,3% in 2019 from 87,3% in 2009.

In 2009, both genders’ experience of physical abuse by teachers were close to 5%. 

This percentage declined to 3,2% for males in 2019 but remained unchanged for females. On the other hand, more males were victims of verbal abuse by teachers in 2019 (5,6%) compared to females (4,4%).  Females also experienced more verbal abuse by peers in 2019 compared to males (14,3% and 13% respectively).

However, the reverse was observed with regards to physical abuse by another learner where more males (11,9%) experienced more abuse.

While schools are expected to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to fully benefit from educational opportunities, teachers and peers are the source of a fearful learning environment in South Africa.

The percentage of children aged 5-17 who reported experiencing some form of violence at school reduced by almost half from 18,5% in 2009 to close to 8,2% in 2019. In 2009 children in rural areas experience violence at school compared to those who lived in urban areas.

Moreover, children in urban areas were three times more likely to experience verbal abuse by
other learners compared to their rural counterparts in 2009; and this increased to six times more
likely in 2019.

Children in rural areas were more likely to be subjected to corporal punishment and other abuses compared to those in urban areas. However, verbal and physical abuses inflicted by other learners were more prominent in urban areas.

Violence against children requires a major shift in what societies regard as acceptable practices. Corporal punishment and verbal abuse by teachers are socially accepted and not considered maltreatment of children.

In addition, media reporting typically focus on extreme cases that involve deaths or sexual abuse of children. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the use of violence to punish children may be used with no intention to hurt the child, but this may have negative short-term and long-term consequences. 

These include physical injuries as well as emotional scars.

INSIDE EDUCATION

PHUTI MOSOMANE

Free State Education MEC Tate Makgoe has died in a horrific car crash on Sunday morning.

This was confirmed by Free State Premier Mxolisi Dukwana, who described Makgoe’s passing as a big blow to the provincial government.

“Makgoe improved the overall quality of education. This is a big blow to us, the people of Free State. He became a life-long learner,” Dukwana said.

The Free State Premier said provincial government officials visited the accident scene on Sunday morning.
“It was a horrific accident and two cows were hit,” said Dukwana.

Basic Education Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said Makgoe took education in the province to the highest level since he was appointed MEC for education in 2009.

“We recieved the sad news of his passing.
Mr Simply the best (as he was affectionately known within government corridors) really wanted every child to succeed. He loved economics and would at times teach learners,” said Mhlanga.

SADTU General Secretary Mugwena Maluleke said the teachers union was deeply saddened by Makgoe’s passing.

“This is a man who showed great commitment, invested more in Grade R and quality education.”

Maluleka said Makgoe was a “simple and easily accessible man” who treated education as an enabler, supported teachers, a person who did not enjoy just being in the cameras.

He said Makgoe instilled a spirit of team work and supported teachers in the Free State province.

Makgoe understood that Apartheid dispossed black Africans of education, and he was therefore driven by the fact that a black child must recieve quality education to undo that legacy.

Department of Higher Education Spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi described Makgoe as a hard worker who performed his work with diligence to serve his people.

“Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande sends condolences to the Makgoe family, friends and the entire Free State province for the ultimately passing of MEC Makgoe,” Mnisi said.

Makgoe joined the Free State provincial legislature in 1994. He served in different portfolios including as MEC for Agriculture, Finance and later Education. He also served as a member of the ANC’s provincial executive committee in Free State and was tipped as the next Basic Education Minister.

INSIDE EDUCATION

PHUTI MOSOMANE

FREE State Education MEC Tate Makgoe and one of his bodyguards were killed in a horror car crash in the early hours of Sunday morning.  

Makgoe’s official vehicle is said to have collided with three cows in Winburg, according to the Free State premier’s spokesperson Sello Dithebe.

Dithebe said emergency personnel responded to an incident and on arrival at around 1:30am found that a light motor vehicle hit two cows and three occupants were trapped. 

Emergency personnel used the jaws of life to get three people that were trapped inside the vehicle.

Makgoe and the bodyguard were declared dead on the scene. The driver of the vehicle sustained moderate injuries and was taken to the Winburg hospital for later transportation to Bloemfontein hospital. 

Makgoe joined the provincial legislature in 1994. Throughout his career, he become an MEC of Agriculture, Finance and later Education. 

Premier Mxolisi Dukwana said the government of Free State was saddened by the untimely passing of MEC Makgoe. 

“Makgoe improved the overall quality of education. This is a big blow to us, to the people of Free State. He became a life-long learner,” Dukwana said. 

Dukwana said officials visited the accident scene: “It was a horrific accident, and two cows were hit.”

Basic Education Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said since 2009, Makgoe took education in the province to the highest level. 

“We recieve the sad news of his passing. ‘Mr Simply the Best’ said really wanted every child to succeed. He loved economics and would at times teach learners,” said Mhlanga. 

SADTU General Secretary Mugwena Maluleke also paid tribute to Makgoe. 

“This is a man who showed a great commitment, invested more in Grade R and quality education.”

He said Makgoe was a “simple and easily accessible man” who treated education as an enabler, supported teachers, a person who did not enjoy just being in the cameras. 

Maluleke said Makgoe instilled a spirit of teamwork and supported teachers in the Free State province. 

Makgoe understood that Apartheid dispossed black Africans of education, and he was therefore driven by the fact that a black child must recieve quality education to undo that legacy. 

Department of Higher Education spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said Makgoe worked very hard to serve his people. 

“Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande sends condolences to Makgoe family, friends and the entire Free State province for the ultimately passing of MEC Makgoe,” Mnisi said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Protesting Wits University Students marched through Braamfontein on Friday afternoon. 

At around 13:20 some students, accompanied by a group of about 150 people from Braamfontein, broke through the Yale Road South and Station Street Gates, many wearing political party regalia. 

“They came armed with water bottles, rocks and teargas, which they threw at private security officers. Three security officers were hurt and have been taken to the Campus Health and Wellness Centre. The exchange continued for about 20 minutes outside the Great Hall before the crowd dispersed,” the university said. 

It said the situation has calmed down now and campus protection services is trying to get those trespassing off the campus as possible. 

But entrances have been closed and staff and students will be allowed to leave. No one is currently being allowed onto our campuses.

“We have already illustrated our commitment to trying to support our students as far as possible, and to address many of the systemic national issues. We have shown restraint in the face of student protests but condemn the acts of intimidation and the destruction of property,” the University said in a statement. 

The decision by the university on Friday to instruct campus security personnel to remove journalists and photographers covering the student protest was criticised as “censorship and an assault to media freedom.”

The university said lectures proceeded well in the afternoon.

Lets look at some of the demands by the students, and University responses;

1. Students demand: Wits must do more to assist students with funding

University response: Wits has committed R150 million for bursaries and scholarships this year. Last year, Wits administered R1,6 billion in financial aid, scholarships and bursaries which helped over 26,000 students.

2. Students demand: Wits must add R30 million more to the Wits Hardship Fund

University response: R28 million has been committed through the Wits Hardship Fund to assist qualifying students to register and to secure emergency accommodation. To date, 503 students have been assisted. Wits also matched the R6 million raised by the SRC rand for rand = R12 million. In total, there is R40 million available to assist students in need, of which about R36 million has already been allocated.

3. Student demand: Wits must register all students who owe R150 000 and below

University response: Wits cannot agree to this request as it amounts to hundreds of millions of rands, which would make the University unsustainable.

4. Students demand: Wits must register all 6 000 students on the SRC’s list

University response: There are about 200 students who qualify academically in 2023, and who owe funds to the university. Some of the protestors who want to register have failed multiple times, have lost their funding, and are now demanding to return. In one case, a student has been in the system for eight years, and is only in his second year of study.

Wits is committed to welcoming as many academically deserving students as possible. We cannot enrol students who have performed dismally simply because they feel they must be admitted. If they are not passing, they are taking the place of other academically deserving students.

5. Students demand: Wits must cover the shortfall created by the R45 000 NSFAS annual cap on accommodation

University response: Wits can’t change NSFAS policies but accredited private accommodation service providers have agreed to accommodate students within the R45,000 cap. Wits has challenged NSFAS on this cap and will continue to address this matter with NSFAS.

6. Students demand: Wits must secure 150 more emergency beds for students sleeping in libraries

University response: Wits secured 350 beds + 150 additional beds to assist students in need, particularly 40 vulnerable students who had no place to stay.

7. Student demand: Wits must lift the R10 000 upfront payment to access Wits residences

University response: The University already has an option for students to defer the first fee payment.

8. Students demand: Wits has not made any other concessions to help students

University response: A number of other concessions have been made including:

– Allowing students who owe R10 000 or less to register,
– Allowing students whose total household income is below R600,000 to apply for registration assistance by paying 50% of the outstanding debt due and by arranging to pay the balance of the debt during the course of the academic year, and
– Allowing students who owe R15 000 or less to graduate.

9. Claim: Wits is suspending students who protest
University response: Wits will never prevent peaceful protests. However, when students break the University’s rules, damage property and infringe on the rights of those who want to learn and work, the University has no choice but to act against these students. Several students have been suspended to date.

INSIDE EDUCATION

PHUTI MOSOMANE

FOLLOWING continued disruptions to lectures on Thursday, Wits University, has announced that it has suspended students who took part in violent protests in and around the campus. 

Students at the university students embarked on a violent protest on Thursday and made their way into Braamfontein streets where they were joined by other groups. 

“Shops were looted, streets were blocked and property was damaged. This afternoon, we also issued multiple suspension orders to disruptors who transgressed the University’s rules,” the university said in a statement last night on Thursday. 

The university said its Legal Office will continue to work through the evidence submitted by the community to ensure that “perpetrators who can be identified, are charged”.

On Thursday afternoon, however, university activities, including academic programmes, continued as scheduled, with little to zero disruptions. 

The university said during the investigations, it established that some students who participated in the violent disruptions on Thursday morning were students who were already “academically excluded”. 

“Some had failed multiple times, had lost their funding, and were now demanding to be registered,” it said. 

While the university management says it’s engaging the Student Representative Council (SRC), academic activities will continue on Friday. 

“We are also asking lecturers and academics to make up for any time lost and to upload relevant material to Ulwazi.” 

Protesting students are demanding that the university allow students with a debt of R150 000 or less to register, and NSFAS R45 000 cap on accommodation to be amended.

The university said it has progressively increased the amount of funding allocated to students. In 2022, Wits University disbursed over R1,6 billion to 26,161 students.

To date, over 36 200 (96%) of Wits’ students have registered for the 2023 academic year, with Postgraduate intakes set to continue throughout the year. 

In 2023 alone, the university has committed R28 million (up from R10 million) to the Wits Hardship Find, to assist academically deserving students to register and to secure emergency accommodation, in line with the rules of the Fund and resources permitting.

To date over 500 students have been funded at a cost of R18.1 million.

This is over and above the R150 million that the university provides in scholarships to deserving students annually.

“The University has secured 350 beds from accredited private accommodation service providers to assist students in need, including those that have been sleeping in libraries and other spaces. These students are being assisted on a daily basis as beds become available,” it said. 

The university and private service providers are also navigating NSFAS’ decision to cap accommodation costs at R45,000 per annum, which it said “is regrettable”.

Wits University appealed the decision and lobbied for a differentiated approach that takes the real cost of accommodation into account.

INSIDE EDUCATION  

MPHO-ENTLE PULENG MODISE

TECHNOLOGY has become the centre of our lives. It has also changed how university students learn and how lecturers teach. Some institutions had already shifted to some form of online teaching and learning before 2020. Then the onset of the COVID pandemic made digitised education commonplace in many parts of the world.

But it’s not enough for universities to offer technological platforms. Those who transfer knowledge – lecturers – must do so skilfully. They must also be able to appropriately support their students through any challenges related to online teaching platforms.

In South Africa, as in many developing countries, most of those entering higher education are not familiar with online learning. They are not adept at finding their way around the internet. They struggle to navigate university learning management systems. The situation is made worse when lecturers don’t have the skills needed to facilitate classes and tutorials online. This dearth of skills on their lecturers’ part can negatively affect students’ performance and achievement.

I conducted a study to explore how lecturers’ skills, knowledge and experience in e-learning affect student support. The research focused on an open distance e-learning institution – the largest on the African continent. It does not offer any face-to-face learning. Before the pandemic, teaching was based on a blended learning approach: written materials were delivered to students by post; others accessed it online from the university’s learning management system.

So, its teaching staff ought to be extra competent at using online technologies to teach and support students.

My participants were academic staff members who had successfully completed a training programme designed to boost their digital skills. I also solicited feedback from students’ discussion forums to see how their learning experiences differed when their lecturers were technologically adept versus when they were not.

I found that most lecturers lacked the knowledge and digital skills necessary for open distance e-learning before the training. This had a significant negative impact on their attitudes to using technology in their teaching. It also hindered their ability to successfully support students. However, the capacity-building programme they completed greatly improved their digital literacy. It also positively shifted their perspectives.

My findings suggest that universities should offer their staff continuous professional development in distance education and e-learning. This will help lecturers to better support and improve the quality of students’ learning experiences.

What I found

The study focused on digital skills developed through an international partnership that aimed to develop academics’ capacity for e-learning. Existing research had already established that these sorts of partnerships were a good way to equip academics with expertise in information communication technology. This is because facilitators from developed countries, with comparatively long experience, access and knowledge regarding online learning technologies and techniques, are well placed to support those in developing nations like South Africa.

I collected data from participants in several ways, including interviews and online questionnaires. The academic staff I worked with had all participated in a capacity building programme offered as part of a partnership between the University of South Africa and the University of Maryland Global Campus between 2013 and 2015.

I also studied more than 1,000 students’ posts on online discussion forums related to two modules hosted on the university’s learning management system.

Most of my participants said the training helped them to better comprehend theories of distance education. It also enabled them to apply those theories when creating learning materials and facilitating learning online. They also felt empowered to increase student engagement, such as by creating online student communities.

The study confirmed that a lecturer’s lack of online facilitation skills can have a negative impact on learner outcomes. Lecturers cannot impart skills they themselves lack or facts they do not know to students: you can’t teach it if you don’t know it.

Steps to take

Based on my findings, I suggest that universities, whether they are partially or fully online, should:

* conduct institution-wide surveys to assess the readiness of academic staff for online teaching. The feedback can inform skills development plans and support systems both for academic and support staff.

* create a platform for staff members who complete online teaching training programmes to share information and their experiences. This will contribute to the wider implementation of e-learning. Staff members who complete formal e-learning training programmes also need to be strategically co-opted in research, discussions, and projects within the university to share their knowledge more widely.

* ensure that staff are properly trained and prepared to adapt and to adopt new technologies

ensure that students are creatively and actively engaged using the digital platforms developed as part of e-learning programmes. This includes being visible on digital platforms such as discussion forums and actively interacting with the students.

* ensure that students are creatively and actively engaged using the digital platforms developed as part of e-learning programmes. This includes being visible on digital platforms such as discussion forums and actively interacting with the students.

THE CONVERSATION

EDWIN NAIDU

IN a boost for literacy, global technology giant Huawei has joined the UNESCO Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL) today as part of the company’s lead-up to the Mobile World Congress 2023.

The announcement was made at a Digital Talent Summit co-hosted by Huawei and the Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), which serves as the Secretariat of the GAL.

At the Summit, Huawei and UIL agreed to promote the use of technology to raise literacy jointly.

The two parties also signed a cooperation agreement under which Huawei will fund an expansion of UIL’s current initiatives to enhance educators’ use of technology in developing countries. Currently, the UIL initiative operates in Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Nigeria, and Pakistan. 

Huawei is the first private company to become an associate member of the GAL.

The company is excited that its goals align with GAL’s vision of eradicating digital illiteracy in young people.

“Our rapidly changing world calls for concerted efforts and strong partnerships to achieve quality education and lifelong learning for all,” UIL Director David Atchoarena explained at the event.

Atchoarena said Huawei’s expertise in innovation in learning would be a great asset to the Global Alliance for Literacy.

“Collaborative projects like ours will ensure no one is left behind on this journey.”

“Getting the right education is often the key to success in life. As a major player in the technology sector, Huawei feels it has a responsibility to provide technology skills in all parts of the world, trying our best to include as many people as possible,” said Huawei Vice President of Corporate Communications Vicky Zhang.

Huawei believes digital talent is a critical driver in achieving digital transformation, solid economic growth, and better quality of life. Since 2008, Huawei has offered a broad and expanding range of talent programs.

Under its Seeds for the Future umbrella, Huawei provides thousands of people yearly with scholarships and digital training courses targeting all age groups.

The company also organises and sponsors tech competitions where students can expand their knowledge, win prizes, and make new friends. 

So far, Huawei’s Seeds for the Future program has helped nurture more than 2.2 million digital talents in over 150 countries. The company’s ICT Academy can train about 200,000 students each year. In 2021, Huawei announced it had already invested US$150 million and planned to invest another US$150 million in digital talent development before 2026, expected to benefit an additional 3 million people.

INSIDE EDUCATION

EDWIN NAIDU

TWENTY high-achieving grade eleven maths and science learners got a little taste of the working world when they recently visited the Atlantis Special Economic Zone.

Sponsored by Energy & Water Sector Education Training Authority (EWSETA) and in partnership with FutureMe, learners explored careers in the Energy and Water sector, with a critical focus on the Renewable Energy and Water sectors.

Key speakers EWSETA chief executive officer Mpho Mookapele, AtlantisSEZ Community Integration Officer Michael Webster, and BE AfriBusiness Founder, and CEO Bradley Chetty introduced available current and future careers in these sectors.

They also looked at how these careers can play a key role in the growth of the South African economy.

Mookapele inspired learners to aim high and do better.

“You will solve the problems of the future. Many people are leaving South Africa amid all the challenges, but this provides a fertile opportunity to get involved – be bold in whatever you do and don’t be scared to take risks,” she said.

The learners got a first-hand work-life experience during their visit to Everflo, a world-class industrial refrigeration company that ensures its operations minimise an environmental impact.

A visit to the Witzands Aquifer in Atlantis saw learners learn about the importance of protecting the country’s water resources and the Aquifer’s role in providing communities with clean water.

With boundless energy, they hiked up the dunes in Witzands.

Afterwards, EWSETA shared the excellent news with learners – to inspire more young people to pursue critical careers in the sector, the SETA offered bursaries to learners who plan to study degrees linked to water and energy.

The Learning Journey is the last in a series of events delivered as part of the 2022 World of Work partnership between EWSETA and FutureMe.

INSIDE EDUCATION

EDWIN NAIDU

THE resignation of Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape was a step backwards in the representation of women Vice-Chancellors in South African higher education, according to Brightness Mangolothi, Director of Higher Education Resource Service (HERS-SA).

In its 20 years of operation, Mangolothi said HERS-SA has collaborated with Phakeng for almost all of those years.

She has freely accepted the call to share her journey with women leaders and offer help where necessary.

“Last year at the HERS-SA ACADEMY, she spoke about leading wounded, which, regrettably, mirrors the difficulties women leaders face, especially when their identities intersect. ”

Most women could relate to the talk and even felt inspired to share their leadership scars,” she said.

Mangolothi said this indicated that institutions should consider hiring coaches and mentos for leaders at all levels as a retention strategy rather than a remedial measure.

INSIDE EDUCATION