Inside Education Reporter

A Math Summit on the Repositioning of Mathematics in the Macro-Development Agenda occurred at the Birchwood Hotel, Boksburg, on 7 June 2024. The Summit, hosted in partnership with the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT), was chaired by NECT Chairperson Sizwe Nxasana.

In pursuit of the National Development Plan (NDP) Goals, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has developed a ten-year strategy for improving Mathematics, the National Mathematics Improvement Plan (NMIP), which will be implemented in 2025. 

The overarching strategic intent of the NMIP is to comprehensively and systematically address the persistently poor performance and low participation rates amongst learners across all levels of schooling. To expedite the implementation of the NMIP, a collaboration of the NECT, the DBE, and several actor groups proposes a macro-level support initiative to enhance Mathematics teaching and learning.

The NECT, playing a crucial role in supporting the Ministry of Education and partners, is driving the Summit as a platform to bolster Mathematics education. The focus is on key aspects such as Mathematics participation, performance, and quality passes. The Summit is a collective endeavour to reposition Mathematics in the Macro-development agenda and gather inputs for a national Mathematics support initiative.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, in a powerful statement, reiterated the Government’s unwavering commitment to enhancing Mathematics education. She underscored the significance of instilling a love for Math from an early age, making it accessible and enjoyable for all children regardless of their background, and dismantling the barriers that hinder many from pursuing STEM careers.

The main objectives of the Summit were, therefore, to bring key stakeholders up to speed on the developments and the state of Mathematics in South Africa; to identify multi-level and multi-dimensional strategic opportunities for improving Mathematics participation and outcomes; to strengthen the NMIP conceptions, including exploring a framework for its comprehensive implementation; and to agree on a joint approach to leverage emerging opportunities for enhancing Mathematics participation and outcomes.

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Staff Reporter

Timoteus, who graduated with a Bachelor of Education in 2022, finished the 10km race – known as the fastest and flattest athletic race in the Western Cape – in 29:27 minutes, ahead of fellow UWC alumni Rowhaldo Ratz and Bruce-Lynn Damons, who crossed the finishing line second and third, respectively.

But the biggest winner on the chilly Saturday morning was always the Cape Town community, particularly the athletics community, with whom UWC used to race to strengthen its ties.

For instance, the Eerste River Athletics Club, of which Ratz, also a BEd graduate in 2022, was a member before securing a Sports Merit Bursary to run and complete his BEd degree in 2020 at UWC, sent a group of volunteers to assist in the organisation of the event.

“The Eerste River Athletics Club is one of the top athletics feeders to UWC, and our partnership with them and other athletic clubs in communities is getting stronger by the day,” commented event director Glen Bentley. “Fast and Flat remains one of the main events that speak to the neighbouring communities regarding bringing the sport to communities.”

The race starts and finishes on the UWC Campus, but a large part runs through the streets of Belhar.

Among other organisations that made the race a resounding success, according to Bentley, were the scouts from Belhar who assisted a water point, Pro-Events who patrolled the routes to ensure the safety of participants, no less than 120 volunteers consisting of UWC Students, parents of athletes as well as student-athletes, and coaches who availed themselves to ensure that the race was a resounding success. The Local Organising Committee comprises various role-players from the UWC Campus Community.

Meanwhile, first-year student Charlton Titus won the junior race category; Caitlyn Mahony took home the women’s category, while legendary Zola Budd (3rd) was one of the top finishers in the 50-59 women’s category. Zola Budd is also Anthony’s current coach.

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Staff Reporter

STEMulator is a groundbreaking virtual platform designed to ignite the spark of curiosity in young minds and stimulate their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

An initiative of the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF), a leading advocate for science and technology education in South Africa, is proud to announce the gifting of the STEMulator to the youth of the nation with the launch of its free virtual school on National Youth Day June 16th, 2024.

The addition of the maths and science classrooms in the virtual school, set to go live on the 16th of June 2024 in celebration of Youth Day, is a thoughtful gift to the youth of our nation by the NSTF. This initiative aims to address the pressing issue of STEM literacy in our country by providing a comprehensive and engaging educational experience.

The STEMulator platform was officially launched in early July 2020 with the aim of getting more school-going learners interested and engaged in STEM subjects and careers and to persevere with maths and science at school.

Featuring a wide range of interactive and educational content, the STEMulator was developed by the NSTF and its proSET (Professionals in Science, Engineering and Technology) Committee.

STEMulator is a proudly South African initiative that is unique in the world, providing a platform for young people to explore, discover, and learn about the important role that STEM professionals play in various fields.

“STEMulator is not your typical educational platform,” explains Richard Gundersen, Chief Instigator at STEMulator. “It’s an immersive, interactive landscape filled with animated objects and clickable areas. Imagine a child clicking on a car and being transported inside to explore its engine or clicking on a farm and learning about the machinery used for harvesting. This engaging format allows learners to explore various aspects of STEM in a fun and accessible way.”

By clicking on objects, they can delve deeper, uncovering the inner workings of machines and the fascinating processes behind everyday phenomena, all of which link directly into exciting career paths available in STEM fields, along with information relating to where to study and how to qualify.

Learners can also discover the origins and processing procedures behind everyday foodstuffs such as a loaf of bread – the loaf of bread in the pantry will take you from the combine harvester in the wheat fields, through the mill, to the bakery; guiding kids to explore the origins of ingredients, the mechanics of a mill, the chemistry of baking, and gain an appreciation for the complexities and diverse skills and careers involved in creating a simple loaf of bread.

The NSTF’s have created a virtual school that is fully aligned to the existing educational curricula and programmes, ensuring a cohesive and effective learning environment that supports the development of our future leaders in STEM fields.

By doing so, we hope to inspire a passion for learning, foster critical thinking, and equip our youth with the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly complex and technology-driven world.”

The creation of the STEMulator is driven by a critical need to address the declining interest in STEM subjects among South African youth. This lack of interest translates to a shortage of skilled professionals in vital fields, hindering the country’s development.

The NSTF is committed to reversing this trend. “STEMulator is our gift to the nation’s youth, a free and accessible platform that makes learning about STEM fun and engaging,” Gundersen continues. “This is particularly important for students from underprivileged backgrounds who may not have access to traditional resources.”

The NSTF envisions a future where every learner under the age of 15 has the opportunity to explore STEMulator. This exposure will empower them to make informed choices about their education and career paths. “Whether they choose STEM or another field, STEMulator will equip them with valuable critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” Gundersen concludes.

Visit STEMulator today at https://stemulator.org/ and embark on a journey of discovery!

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Staff Reporter

THE gold-and-silver-coloured world globes at the five-year celebrations of the University of Pretoria’s (UP’s) Future Africa Campus were not just pretty table decorations.

Featuring a golden Africa against silver seas, they symbolised what Future Africa stands for: a collaborative Pan-African research platform with the African continent at its centre and connections that stretch across the globe.

“Future Africa is successful because of your contribution and that of people from different parts of the world,” said Professor Themba Mosia, Interim Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UP, at a celebratory event held on 24 May 2024.

The occasion marked Future Africa’s first five years, looked ahead to its next five years, and paid tribute to a higher education leader described as a “continental patriot and global citizen” – Professor Ernest Aryeetey, who is retiring as Secretary-General of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA).

ARUA is a network of 23 research-intensive universities from across the continent, committed to enhancing and expanding African researchers’ research quality in Africa.

The alliance has a close connection with Future Africa and UP. Prof Aryeetey recalled his first visit five years ago, coinciding with the opening of Future Africa. At the time, he had been struck by the campus’s eco-friendly character – the first time he had seen this at a higher education institution.

“Thank you to the University of Pretoria for making it possible for ARUA to be part of [Future Africa’s] story,” he said.

Since its story began in 2019, Future Africa has hosted close to 3,000 events and welcomed an estimated 66 000 delegates and speakers from all over the world, among them international figures such as Angela Merkel, former Chancellor of Germany, and Antony Blinken, current Secretary of State of the United States.

But, as Future Africa Director Heide Hackmann reiterated, Future Africa is much, much more than a conference centre.

This was clear from the fact that the university executive had decided “to call us a collaborative platform – not an institute, not a centre, but a platform,” Dr Hackmann emphasised, explaining that Future Africa had both campus and research functions.

As a platform for collaboration, Future Africa provides a “neutral space to convene, catalyse and coordinate big ideas, big initiatives – ideas that are too big for one department or faculty”, she said during a Reflection and Engagement session with UP Deans and Directors, held before the main celebration.

“The notion of neutrality means we do not seek to compete with faculties, but collaborate based on common purpose and shared ideas,” said Dr Hackmann.

Another concept deeply embedded in Future Africa is that of transformation. “The notion of transformation begins to define a unique identity for Future Africa,” Dr Hackmann said. “It’s beyond transdisciplinarity. We are experimenting with a research approach that would unleash and inform processes of deep systems change.”

Future Africa’s research is focused on “challenge domains,” which are very big ideas explored through its five research chairs: African Science and Technology Futures, Global Equity in Africa, One Health (People, Health, Places), Sustainable Food Systems, and Sustainability Transformations.

“This is not just a UP effort,” Dr Hackmann said, noting that the University of Cape Town had seen the value of a Future Africa chair and had come on board to co-host Sustainability Transformations.

“Our next chair could be elsewhere in Africa,” she added, indicating that a priority for 2024 is to launch a new domain on youth education, employment and empowerment.

Overall, Future Africa currently has a portfolio of 30 distinct projects and programmes and external research funding of R60 million, up from R7,9 million at its inception.

“I think we have made the last five years matter,” Dr Hackmann said. “We have laid the foundation; we know how to work, we know what we want to do, we have started engaging with experts across the university and other parts of the world, and we have built a solid team of people who are committed to fulfilling the vision of Future Africa.”

She added that this solid foundation had given her “the courage to accept another position” at Stellenbosch University and that she would be leaving UP in June this year.

“I am so confident that Future Africa is in safe hands, and I look forward to finding opportunities for productive collaboration with each other.

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Staff Reporter

According to UNICEF’s 2023 U-Report poll, around 60% of South Africa’s children and youth felt in need of mental health support last year.

The findings per age group showed this figure increased to 70% among those between 15 and 24 years. Mental health conditions affecting South African youth include anxiety and depression as well as substance abuse, suicide and self-harm.

The stigma around mental health conditions in their families, school environments and communities causes fear of the reactions of parents, educators and peers, possibly inhibiting teens from revealing their mental health struggles.

SADAG (South African Depression and Anxiety Group) reports that researchers estimate that only one in eight adolescents engaging in self-harming behaviours comes to the attention of clinical services. Behaviours around substance abuse, suicide and self-harming often engender shame and secrecy, fostering isolation, which enables conditions to worsen.

Inge Nieuwoudt, Educational Psychologist and mental health practitioner, says, there is significant evidence that adult mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, can be traced to symptoms that appeared in adolescence or even childhood.

“As we deal with an escalating youth mental health crisis, we need better ways to recognise and address challenges early in life to prevent these becoming lifelong struggles and to improve overall well-being.

“The concept of Youth Mental Health First Aid has emerged to help build the skills of parents, teachers, community mental health and youth workers to become more adept at identifying early signs, providing stabilising comfort and helping young people access the professional support they need.”

Inge will be presenting the SACAP Global Youth Mental Health First Aid CPD Workshop taking place on Tuesday, 25 June 2024, from 18:00 to 19:30. The certified online training is primarily aimed at psychologists, registered counsellors and other mental health practitioners; however, it will also be widely of interest to educators and youth care workers.

Mental Health First Aid gives you skills and an action plan, known as ALGEE, so that you can support a person in emotional distress, just as you would if you were administering first aid in the event of a physical injury.

Worldwide, millions of people have been trained to use the ALGEE action plan, which includes five steps that can be used in any order:

A – Approach, assess for risk of suicide or harm – this involves starting a private and confidential conversation. If the person is reluctant to confide in you, you can encourage them to talk to someone they trust.

L—Listen nonjudgmentally—This is important for everyone, but particularly teens who may distrust being vulnerable with adults. It involves listening without interrupting, authentically feeling empathy for their situation, and being accepting of their reality even if you don’t agree with what they are saying.

G – Give reassurance and information – Once a person has shared their experiences and emotions with you, you must be equipped to share useful facts to inspire hope.

E – Encourage appropriate professional help – Like traditional first aiders, you provide frontline support to assess the situation and provide stabilisation.

Afterwards, you must hand over and encouragingly point them toward mental healthcare providers trained to provide acute and long-term interventions. The earlier someone gets help, the better their chances of recovery; therefore, you must help them learn more about the options available.

E – Encourage self-help and other support strategies -. This includes helping the person develop a personalised emotional and physical self-care plan and identifying their supporters in life.

At the SACAP Global Youth Mental Health First Aid CPD Workshop, attendees will gain an overview of the ALGEE Model, specifically emphasising the first step of A, approaching a conversation and assessing risk. To deepen their assessment capabilities, they will be exposed to specific knowledge about what suicide and self-harm entail, including the myths and realities associated with these behaviours and insights into Crisis First Aid for suicide and self-harm.

South Africa has a significant shortage of mental health skills. Through the Youth Mental Health First Aid CPD Workshop, SACAP Global aims to build the urgently needed capacity in schools and communities.

Karolyne Williams, Head of Strategic Innovation at SACAP Global, concludes, “We have well over half of the South African children and youth reporting that they need mental health care, and this highlights how critical it is for a deeper and wider understanding of the challenges they are facing. It’s also essential to build skills in those interacting with the youth.

“With Mental Health First Aid training, they will know how to effectively and confidently provide immediate care and how to guide teens to further support without delay. Adding this CPD workshop to our SACAP Global offering aims to help add a layer of robustness at the frontlines of the South African mental healthcare system.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli

A historic one-year learnership programme has been launched under the theme of the Umcebo Ngemfundo (“Wealth through Education”) to assist in bridging the gap between people living with disabilities and accessing skills, specifically within the finance and accounting sector.

The Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (FASSET), together with Blind SA, launched a collaborative learnership programme, Umcebo Ngemfundo, on Thursday at the Protea OR Tambo Hotel and Conference Centre.

Blind SA President Christo de Klerk welcomed the event attendees and thanked everyone for their support and work in facilitating this transformative initiative.

“Thank you to those who have partnered with us in one of Blind SA’s most ambitious projects. This is new to us, but we commend you for joining us in this plunge into the dark,” de Klerk said.

Organisers for the launch said with 98% of visually impaired people unemployed in the country due to labour market factors; this programme aims to provide visually impaired people with the skills they need to close the skills gap between education and the workforce.

The programme is expected to illustrate how independence and wealth will be achieved in the lives of the students after they complete the course, especially since they will be employable and earn decent salaries.

Blind SA CEO Jace Nair said the launch marked a historic day in transformation.

He said that just over 10% of the visually impaired have primary education and that it was thus essential to acquire skills and qualifications to reduce unemployment and dependency on social grants within the blind community.

Nair said only 40% of Blind SA’s members had grade 11 or higher and that none of the treasurers operating in the organisation’s 49 branches across the country had any financial or accounting training.

“We also have the challenge that there are just over 24 schools for the blind and that learners at the schools are not exposed to accounting, maths or stem subjects, effectively limiting their access to tertiary institutions,” he said.

The CEO confirmed that 114 applicants applied for the programme over the last month, but as only 50 places were available, further interviews were required.

Nair said 41 out of the 50 places were among the youth, and 31 were women, highlighting the need for transformation within the blind community.

The programme comprises six months of classroom instruction and another six months of hands-on training at organisations like Work Integrated Training Solutions, facilitated by the South African Chambers of Commerce.

The CEO confirmed that face-to-face training would be conducted in the applicants’ home provinces and said that 19 were from Gauteng, with the remainder from the rest of the country.

Nair highlighted the crucial role of placement through private sector partners, which ensures that learners spend at least six months acquiring the experience, ethics, and skills of the working environment.

In addition, the CEO said for these learners to succeed, they require reasonable accommodation and the provision of laptops with screen reading software.

“We have to provide training to our learners so they can use Zoom and other platforms because training is blended online and face-to-face, and we are grateful to receive financial and other forms of support,” Nair said.

Interim Chair of the FASSAT Board Bongani Mathibela praised the launch of what he called the first of its kind for all organisations involved.

“Our vision is to create valuable learning experiences that make a meaningful impact in the lives of the beneficiaries,” Mathibela said.

He thanked the hard work of the FASSET staff in empowering members of the country who were prevented from accessing employment opportunities and contributing to the economy.

Programme beneficiary Wendy Hill from Pretoria thanked the organisations involved. It said she would not have gotten where she did without the help and support of such programmes.

“To be partially sighted is very challenging and very difficult. This is a blessing, from being told you can’t be accommodated to being told there are no facilities for you. I don’t just speak for myself, I speak for 18 others, we are blessed,” she said.
The launch concluded with anticipation of a positive outcome for the program.
“We are certain that it will transform lives and contribute positively towards the country’s economy through harvesting financial stability, accessibility, equal opportunities and inclusion,” Mathibela said.
Induction is expected to start next week, with the programme beneficiaries meeting and organising with the technical team.

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Sports Reporter

THE experienced former Banyana Banyana players Amanda Sister and Chantelle Esau have brought to the Baby Wolves since signing with the university club a few weeks ago have proved invaluable.

With dozens of international caps between them, the pair have been able to impart years of footballing wisdom to their younger University of Fort Hare teammates.

The side are currently enjoying a good run in the Hollywoodbets Super League, winning their last two matches to place them a respectable ninth on the log in their first season of elite women’s football.

Sister, 34, boasts a hugely impressive resumé. Aside from making more than 40 appearances for her country, the Gqeberha-born defender has played for Hungarian club Győri ETO as well as Italian Serie A side San Zaccaria.

Striker Esau, 33, arrived in Alice after a stint with Hollywoodbets Super League champions Mamelodi Sundowns and has played more than 25 matches for Banyana Banyana.
Fort Hare interim head coach Sibonelo Doyisa said the experienced duo were brought on board to help the younger players adapt to the challenges of big-time football while learning to show no fear for well-known players.

“We thought, ‘Let’s add a few players who can motivate them, who can add that factor in the camp, clubhouse and change room’. And now it’s working wonders for the team,” he said.

“With Amanda, we told her what her role would be; not just to be a player on the field but off it as well. She accepted the challenge to explain to the other players how to approach games, how to act as individuals and teammates.”

The arrival of Sister and Esau at Fort Hare was largely thanks to the efforts of sports officer Sibabalo Feni, described by Doyisa as the “man behind the magic”.

Passionate about the team’s success, he visited their respective homes to recruit them.
Esau was not getting as much game time at Sundowns as she once did and embraced the opportunity to play for a smaller team where she could add more value.

Though Sister was on the books of Super League team Copperbelt FC, she had been sidelined for some time after a series of injuries.

Feni’s timing in securing their talents could not have been more perfect and they have duly given UFH a huge boost 12 games into the season.
Though the ladies might be older than their teammates, Doyisa emphasised that age was not really a factor in women’s football.

“What matters most is how you communicate with your teammates, telling them when to run and not to run. If you have experience, age is just a number.”

As much as the coach was thankful for the addition of the two stars, he also did not want to diminish the hard work all his players were putting into the campaign.

They always gave more than what was expected of them and put his advice into practice “with ease”, he said.

“It’s not just the experience we now have but the willingness of all our players.”

Fort Hare’s next fixture is against UWC on June 8.

With students writing exams, they have suspended training for the time being but “will be back at the office” on Monday.

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Staff Reporter

For the first time since its inception, the FISU (Fédération Internationale du sport universitaire) will host the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens will be hosted in South Africa.

Stellenbosch University will be honoured to become only the second African university – the 2018 edition took place at the University of Namibia – to host the biannual international university rugby showpiece in 2026.

Incidentally, it was also the year that the South African men’s team won the gold medal, while the women finished in fourth place after narrowly losing to Belgium in the bronze medal match.

This year’s tournament will be hosted in Aix-Marseille-Provence, France, and will take place over two days, 10-12 June. Drikus Hancke, head of Rugby at Maties Sport, believes the 2026 edition of the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens will show the world what Maties Sport has to offer. Stellenbosch University is well-known for producing top-quality athletes in individual and team sporting events.

However, it is the logistics, potential tourist influx, and event management of this magnitude that a very proud Hancke hopes the public will get to experience and view what the beautiful town of Stellenbosch offers. A tournament of this magnitude has certain standards that have to be adhered to even before the event is awarded to a university.

Maties’ facilities and the people who manage them across all sporting codes have the necessary experience hosting large groups of international travelling teams. This keen sense of detail has set the Maties organising committee on a path to setting a new bar for hosting world-class university competitions.

“We are very proud to have been awarded the bid,” Hancke said.

“The significance of it lies in the fact that it is an international competition showcasing the best Universities 7’s talent of participating countries. We are very proud to host such a big event, allowing us to showcase our facilities and capabilities. It will give us international exposure and bring a high-quality international event to Stellenbosch. The large influx of teams and supporters will benefit the town of Stellenbosch and its surrounds.”
Events of this size have a lasting impact on the community within the institution and the broader communities, districts, towns, and neighbourhoods in which it is situated. Tourists flock to the Cape Winelands town to experience its vineyards, wine farms, and beautiful summer events. The Maties Sports leadership hopes to leave a legacy that will forever be etched in the annals of Stellenbosch.

“The exposure we receive from the tournament will be wide and might attract talent we do not normally reach. Our facility and event management will hopefully attract more potential tournaments to be held here. An event of this size creates a lot of awareness and hopefully attracts more people to rugby in our area.”

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