Johnathan Paoli

THE principal of the Daveyton Skills School, Thembi Letsoalo, could face disciplinary action and criminal charges following a report into the tragic drowning of two learners earlier this year.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane briefed the media on Tuesday, and shared the investigative report which probed the deaths of 15-year-old Siphamandla Peterson and 17-year-old Sibusiso Sibiya from Daveyton Skills School who drowned during a “discipline camp” at Rock Falls Adventure Ranch in Centurion on 15 April.

Seanago attorneys’ Thembekile Graham, who accompanied Chiloane, has recommended that Letsoalo be held liable for the drowning and said she did not submit any application to the department for the trip, with no approval consequently being granted.

“The report reveals that the principal of Daveyton Skills School said she did not know of the regulations on taking children out on school excursions,” Graham said.

Graham said crucial safety measures were not adhered to by the school and could not be identified or corrected by the department and Letsoalo instructed that only the social worker accompany the pupils and supervise them, with no teachers being invited.

She confirmed that 19 facilitators from the NGO Rising Stars attended the camp, but that this was not in accordance with the teacher-learner ratio regulations due to their lack of qualifications as teachers.

“She did not verify their qualifications and presented them to parents as specialists. She failed to inform the parents of the risks associated with the activities to be undertaken by the pupils,” Graham said.

The report found that when the incident occurred, the social worker was in the bathroom, and no facilitators were at the dam site.

Chiloane said it remained dubious on whether Letsoalo could plead ignorance of the regulations.

“We find this version concerning especially because there were at least two occasions where the department emphasised the importance of complying with the regulations,” he said.

The MEC said Letsoalo further received a memo urging schools to apply for trips three months in advance and included a checklist, which the principal acknowledged receipt of.

In addition, he said it remained concerning that the school governing body was not informed of the trip, preventing it from ensuring the suitability of the camp and the accompaniment of teachers.

Addressing the media around the time of the incident, Chiloane said preliminary reports revealed that the trip was not sanctioned by the district office of the education department.

He said the department cannot be blamed for the death of two pupils during a school excursion, due to the failure of Letsoalo to follow proper procedures.

While the report has recommended disciplinary action against the principal, the families of the deceased confirmed that a criminal case has been opened against Letsoalo.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

The iLeadLABS is an innovative educational hub designed to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Its dedication to nurturing future leaders and driving innovation is reinforced by its cutting-edge Academic Makerspace, iLeadLABs.

The iLeadLAB initiatives, based on academic maker spaces focusing on technology and innovation, are operational across five learning centres in Southern Africa. These labs catalyze students to adapt, innovate, and harness technology to create new knowledge.

“At Regent Business School, we believe in the transformative power of education and are proud to sponsor initiatives like the iLeadLAB, which empower students to become future leaders and innovators,” said Hoosen Essof, Head of Innovation and Student Experience at Regent Business School.

The iLeadLABs serve as training facilities and entrepreneurial centres, nurturing independent thinkers and future entrepreneurs.

A makerspace is a collaborative and creative workspace that provides individuals with the tools, resources, and environment to design, prototype, and create various projects. It encourages hands-on learning, experimentation, and innovation and is typically equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, robotics and coding, VR, and drones.

The iLeadLAB is a pioneering initiative and a beacon for cultivating dynamic skills, nurturing leadership qualities, and fostering innovative thinking among students. It is a transformative platform where theoretical knowledge meets real-world application, preparing students to thrive in an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing global landscape.

Through a blend of cutting-edge technology, hands-on experiential learning and mentorship opportunities, the iLeadLAB equips students with the practical skills, adaptability and forward-thinking mindset required to succeed in diverse professional environments.

The innovative iLeadLAB is a prime example of how students learn the skills and etiquette needed to succeed in the 21st century and be at the head of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is the educational solution to being an agile business leader equipped with relevant skills for this ever-changing world.

iLeadLABs are located in Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, and Eswatini.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Edwin Naidu

South Africa is at a critical juncture, urgently needing to recalibrate its moral compass. The pressing question that demands immediate attention is whether the absence of a common identity is tied to a failure to establish a shared purpose as a united nation.

Thirty years after democracy, the question of what makes a South African remains valid. It is a matter of simplicity and pride to consider oneself solely as a South African rather than being categorised as Indian, white, Black, or coloured. I am a South African. It’s that simple.

Failure to accept this allows us to thrive along racial lines.

Yet strange enough, the one thing that unites the nation is corruption.

However, for the fight against corruption to become real, the cudgels against this disease must be taken up collectively as South Africans.

The apartheid racial tags put blinkers on us as citizens. It also confuses people and their allegiances. If one has any allegiance other than to the South African flag one should be on the first flight out of this country for good.

The Government of National Unity has a chance to complete the task the ANC under Presidents Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, and now Cyril Ramaphosa failed to address – genuinely building a democratic South Africa for all, starting with eradicating the apartheid depictions of citizens.

It is time to scrap the apartheid tags en route to creating a national identity.

Whether one is white, Indian, Black, or coloured, the Bill of Rights and the laws of the land apply to all citizens equally. Children should be taught this from a young age, if not in their homes, certainly in school.

Proudly, South African should not be in slogans or advertisements. It must be ingrained in one’s being as a citizen. Increasingly, people realise that the foundation of a better society is laid in homes and reinforced in classrooms.

Teaching children the difference between right and wrong is at the core of building the society we aspire to. This includes teaching children the importance of accepting each other as human beings, thus ensuring we avoid the ugly racism that continues to manifest itself at schools three decades after democracy.

Unlike her arrogant and blustering predecessor, the Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane has shown corruption a red card as early as in her first Budget Vote speech in Parliament.

Her counterpart, the Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube, should adopt this approach in the schooling system. Tackling racism and anti-corruption lessons should be introduced in the classrooms before artificial intelligence and robotics.

What good is AI when one does not know the difference between right and wrong or how to treat fellow human beings?

Teaching boys to respect girls from a young age would change the patterns of abuse that have made Gender-Based Violence the scourge of society.

Equal Education has noted that corruption is the abuse of resources or power, which occurs when one uses it for personal gain. Corruption occurs at all system levels – school, district, provincial, and national.

Universities are a hotbed of corruption, as evidenced by Professor Jonathan Jansen in his book on the subject. We have seen the goings-on at Fort Hare with alarm, too.

One hopes that Dr Nkabane will take the fight to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) which has benefited millions but remains tainted by the corrupt actions of a few.

The corruption escalated under the watch of former Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande and was exposed by the civil society body Organisation Against Tax Abuse (OUTA).

They claim that the corruption goes all the way up – a claim denied by Nzimande with the empty threat of court action. His demotion as the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation should give him ample time to make good on his empty threats to take OUTA to court over its claims.

It’s time to say no to corruption by putting those who steal from taxpayers behind bars. But it’s time to take on this fight as one united South Africa that demands and expects good governance and law and order for all, regardless of the apartheid tags that continue to bind.

Edwin Naidu is Inside Education Editor.

Staff Reporter

THE AVBOB Road To Literacy campaign, in partnership with Oxford University Press Southern Africa (OUPSA), aims to transform the lives of primary school children across South Africa by making reading and numeracy books accessible, especially to underserved schools. This public-nomination initiative provides children with books in their mother tongue.

At an event held on 13 June 2024 at the AVBOB Head Office in Irene Link, Centurion, Carl van der Riet, CEO of AVBOB, and Karen Simpson, Managing Director of OUPSA, announced the beneficiaries of the 500 trolley libraries (a substantial increase from the 260 trolley libraries donated in 2023 and the 180 trolleys donated in 2022).

Each trolley library holds 500 books tailored to the CAPS curriculum and is estimated to be worth R65,000. The total
investment value for the 2024 campaign came to R32,5 million. The trolley libraries were donated to deserving primary schools and educational Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) through public nominations.

According to Van der Riet, more than 7,000 nominations were received this year, posong a challenge for the AVBOB
adjudicators as choosing the “best” motivations was not an easy task.

The 2024 national AVBOB Road To Literacy campaign had a mother-tongue focus, as children who learn to read in their
mother tongue are more likely to stay and succeed in school (Kosonen, 2005).

This collaborative effort between AVBOB and OUPSA underscores their support of the Department of Education by providing CAPS-aligned resources to assist learners in improving reading proficiency and understanding. Since South Africa was ranked last out of the 57 countries in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study in 2021, it is such partnerships that make a difference in society. The study tested the reading ability of 400,000 students globally and showed that 81% of South African children could not read for comprehension in any of the country’s 11 official written languages. The aim of the AVBOB and OUPSA initiative is to positively impact children by making reading accessible and popular.

In his address, Van der Riet said, “The skills of literacy and numeracy are not only fundamental human rights but also serve as the means for the pursuit and attainment of other human rights. They are the foundation for achieving education and the broader goal of improving livelihoods and reducing poverty.”

He explained that AVBOB was established to help people through challenging times and has never veered from that original purpose. “We still exist for the people, and our mutual status is a cornerstone of who we are,” he added. Van der Riet further stated that AVBOB is owned by its members as it is a mutual society, and it exists solely to serve its members’ interests and that of the wider community.

“Our Environmental, Social, and Governance strategy underscores this commitment, guiding us to make decisions that are not only profitable but also sustainable and socially responsible,” he said.

Guest speaker Gugulethu Ndebele, Executive Director of the Oprah Winfrey Academy for Girls, provided valuable insight into the importance of mother-tongue reading. She praised AVBOB’s long-standing and unwavering commitment to education. She emphasised that trolley libraries are only effective if integrated into other teaching activities and strategies to achieve a holistic education outcome.

Simpson from OUPSA said, “Our mission at Oxford University Press is to transform lives through learning. We believe that partnerships with like-minded organisations, such as AVBOB, are essential in realising our vision to positively impact the lives of millions of learners anytime, anywhere. Our collaboration with AVBOB has strengthened over the last three years, and we are exceptionally proud of our involvement in the 2024 Road To Literacy campaign, which supports so many deserving schools where access to the right literacy resources can make the biggest difference to learning outcomes.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

Rowing South Africa’s Olympic-qualified athletes have been training intensively in Tzaneen, preparing for the upcoming Games in Paris.

The team, focusing on the men’s pair and women’s single scull, will leave South Africa on 18 July, with the Olympic rowing events set to start on 27 July.

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee has announced the men’s pair of Chris Baxter and John Smith, along with their coach Tiago Loureiro.

Paige Badenhorst clinched her place in the women’s single sculls for the Games.

The serene setting of Tzaneen, nestled in Limpopo, has provided an ideal environment for the athletes to refine their techniques, build stamina, and develop mental resilience.

Both the men’s pair and the women’s single scull have been working tirelessly, honing their skills and strength through long on-the-water sessions, strength conditioning, and race simulations. These athletes are seasoned competitors with a history of international success, demonstrating exceptional determination, precision, and drive.

In the men’s pair, the dynamic duo of Baxter and Smith has developed a strong synergy, working as a cohesive unit both in and out of the boat.

Meanwhile, Badenhorst, the women’s single sculler, has spent countless hours perfecting her technique under the guidance of her coaching team. Her training is designed to optimise her speed and endurance, key elements for excelling in the demanding single-scull event.

This unity among the athletes and their coaches fosters a sense of camaraderie and mutual support.

As the team prepares to leave for Paris, there is a palpable sense of anticipation and excitement. The hard work and dedication shown in Tzaneen have laid a solid foundation for a successful Olympic campaign, and the team is eagerly looking forward to the challenges and triumphs that await them in the French capital.

The team carries the hopes and support of a nation ready to make waves on the international stage.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Tsitsi Mavambe and Nhlanhla Mpofu

Reading is a powerful tool. It introduces children to new ideas. It shapes their academic journey and progress. It also equips them with skills to navigate the world, both at school and beyond.

Sadly, it’s estimated that more than 202 million children and young people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have age-appropriate reading, writing and numeracy skills. The region’s youth literacy rate (for people aged between 15 and 24) stands at about 77%. The global rate is 95%.

Namibia performs above the regional average, with a youth literacy rate of 91.5%. But challenges persist. Many children with language barriers and other reading-related issues are enrolled in mainstream classrooms alongside learners who are performing at the expected age level. Their issues are not necessarily severe enough to require enrolment in special schools, but they do need some extra guidance and support from teachers. However, not all teachers in mainstream schools have the necessary specialised training and support to effectively help non-readers in their classes.

Existing research indicates that even with limited formal training, experienced teachers can support non-readers by drawing upon their knowledge of learners and learning contexts.

To learn more about how teachers do this, we did a study of primary school teachers in Namibia. We wanted to understand what worked, and what didn’t, when they instructed non-reading students.

We found that teachers were using the right strategies, but they were not giving targeted attention to the non-readers in their classes. Rather, they were teaching the whole class in the same way. This left the non-readers struggling.

The study
The study focused on primary school teachers in the Ompundja circuit in Namibia’s Oshana region. They taught Grade 5s, aged on average between 10 and 11.

Oshikwanyama and English were the languages studied at the five public schools where we conducted our research, though most learners spoke Oshindonga as their home language. The schools were moderately resourced and the teachers who participated all held tertiary qualifications, ranging from diplomas to Masters degrees.

First we asked teachers to describe the methods they used to support students who struggled to read. Here’s what they told us.

Reinforcement was key. Teachers said they sought to consolidate non-readers’ prior knowledge and reinforce their existing skills and understanding. To do so, they used vocabulary board charts, pictures and word visuals that related to the comprehension passage that was studied. These approaches motivated the non-readers and helped them to concentrate better.

The teachers said they avoided diving straight into having students read the assigned texts. Instead, they read aloud to the class first. This allowed them to model fluent reading, introduce new vocabulary, and generate discussion about the content before the students attempted to read it themselves. They also used other traditional strategies for teaching reading comprehension, like asking questions and linking what they read to the students’ own experiences.

Strategies like this prepared the students in advance, making them more receptive and engaged when they did begin reading the material independently.

Research has shown that the integration of these two sets of strategies – reinforcement and anticipation – is crucial for teaching reading to non-readers.

During our interviews, the teachers said these strategies were being used specifically for non-readers in their classes. But the second part of our study, when we sat in and observed classes, showed that this was not the case.

Shortcomings
The teachers identified their non-reading students for us before our observations began. In fact, these students were seated together. They were in the minority in all five classrooms we observed. Despite their seating arrangements, we did not see any evident, distinct interactions or differentiated instruction aimed at non-readers during lessons.

The lessons simply progressed without any clear indication that the teachers were intentionally implementing the specialised strategies they described during interviews for the students who struggled with reading.

What they’d said in interviews was true: they did use well-established instructional reinforcement and anticipatory strategies – vocabulary board charts, visual aids, read-alouds and other techniques. But these were aimed at the entire class, no matter their reading abilities or individual struggles.

This raises concerns about whether the struggling students are truly receiving the tailored instruction and scaffolding they need to develop their reading skills and comprehension. During the classroom observations, we observed an overuse of chorus responses and learners who could not respond to questions posed to them. This suggested that not only the non-readers, but also some of the readers were struggling to engage with the material.

Potential interventions
Based on our findings, we recommend that teachers whose classes contain a mix or fluent and non-reading students implement differentiated approaches to instruction.

This involves assessing students’ reading levels and dividing the class into small groups based on their proficiency. Teachers can then provide targeted instruction and activities at the appropriate level for each group, focusing on foundational reading skills for non-readers and more advanced reading comprehension exercises for fluent readers.

This flexible grouping structure allows for students to move between groups as their skills improve. This fosters a collaborative, inclusive and dynamic learning environment. It allows non-readers to benefit from the modelling and support of their more proficient peers, while also challenging the fluent readers to develop their teaching and leadership skills.

The story was first published in The Conversation.

Zama Mthombeni

South Africa’s government and higher education sector have invested a lot of time and money over the past two decades to enhance the country’s research output and cultivate the next generation of researchers.

Though there has been some progress, South Africa still isn’t close to its National Development Plan target of reaching 100 PhDs per one million people by 2030. By 2021 the rate stood at 59 PhDs per million people.

A doctoral degree is the highest academic qualification awarded by universities. Obtaining a PhD means a researcher has advanced knowledge in their field and credibility in academia. These qualities can pave the way for opportunities to make groundbreaking scientific contributions. So, efforts continue to grow South Africa’s PhD cohort. These largely take the form of funding initiatives driven by, among others, the National Research Foundation (NRF).

But these initiatives often overlook doctoral students who work full-time while pursuing their PhDs – of whom there are a significant number. For instance in a 2020 study, Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology tracked the demographics, work experience and career paths of more than 32,000 doctorate holders who graduated from South African universities between 2000 and 2018. The researchers found that

just over 60% of South African doctoral graduates over the past 19 years were employed full time during their doctoral studies. This means that the majority of doctoral students in this country study part time.

PhD programmes are intense and demanding. This cohort of students must manage this reality while also juggling an extra load, balancing full-time employment with family and other personal responsibilities.

The problem is that the kinds of initiatives I’ve described simply aren’t catering to this large and important group. Nor are most universities’ doctoral programmes. Research indicates that there is simply not enough money in the system to allow PhD students already working at universities to be paid a salary to study full time. This approach is common in some Scandinavian countries and allows candidates to finish their PhDs far more quickly than their South African counterparts.

I am a scholar who focuses on how public policy and developmental frameworks influence equity, access and effectiveness in higher education. In a recent study I set out to better understand the experiences of non-traditional doctoral students. I identified several key factors that influenced how their PhD journeys unfolded, what held them back in certain areas and what helped them to succeed.

My study found that none of the non-traditional doctoral students completed their PhDs in the standard three-year period. Most took five or six years instead. Various factors contributed to this delay, including personal responsibilities such as marriage and childcare. Some students also cited institutional factors from their universities, such as a lack of support, poor and slow administration, and insufficient financial support during their studies.

Understanding and addressing the unique needs of this cohort is essential for several reasons. By supporting these students, South Africa can increase its research output and meet its national research and development goals more effectively. It can also lead to higher retention and completion rates, benefiting both students and institutions.

An overlooked cohort
I interviewed 15 people who worked in the same research institution (not a university) while pursuing their doctoral degrees. Some had already graduated and others were still studying. They represented a range of fields, like politics, sociology, economics and agriculture.

My findings fell under three key themes.

The first was that the participants struggled to balance academic demands with their professional and personal responsibilities. Most were mid-career professionals or parents when they undertook their PhDs. This added a layer of complexity to their doctoral journey. One of the participants told me that they would have been able to finish their doctorate a year earlier had they not been working full time.

The second theme related to support systems. Participants told me that their employers and work mentors provided more support than their doctoral supervisors. Some said this was because their PhD projects were highly specialised and had originated from experiences and learnings in their workplaces. Others said it was simply easier to access their work mentors, since they were in the same place; still others found that their doctoral supervisors weren’t always available or responsive.

My supervisor at the university tries their level best but I feel my research organisation does a better job in terms of giving me the expertise I need. Especially with publications. I am doing my PhD through publication, and I get more insight from my mentor (at work).

The third theme was institutional flexibility. For instance, there was little room within doctoral programmes for flexible scheduling. This inflexibility extended to financial considerations. Several participants told me they registered as full-time students because part-time students didn’t qualify for fee remission or other financial assistance. One reflected:

Funding is very important because when people pursue their doctoral degrees they’re mostly in their adulthood and funding is not about your studies only, but (is) used as a means for your livelihood given our unemployment rate in South Africa. I was helping at home financially and I believe that your economic situation plays a crucial role in your success.

Recommendations
These concerns can be addressed in several ways.

Universities should establish comprehensive support systems tailored to the needs of this cohort. That includes flexible scheduling, part-time study options, and dedicated mentorship programmes that address both academic and professional challenges.

Policy reform is important, too. At a national level, policymakers should design funding programmes and scholarships that specifically target this cohort. Some bursaries only fund students registered as full time. Institutions should ensure that students who are both working and studying towards PhDs full-time can access financial benefits even if they are registered part-time. This can include fee remission and scholarships.

Finally, given that most of my participants – and those profiled in the Stellenbosch study – already work in higher education institutions (universities, research councils), there should be partnerships between the universities these students attend and their workplaces. Such collaborations can provide additional support, align academic and professional goals, and create synergies that benefit both the students and their employers.

Zama Mthombeni is a Researcher at the Human Sciences Research Council.

The story was first published in The Conversation.

Edwin Naidu

Mindful that her hands are full, given the enormity of the challenges, the new Democratic Alliance Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, has pledged to eliminate pit toilets in rural schools because, thirty years into democracy, “schools should not be graveyards”.

“It is a crime. It’s letting down the most vulnerable because everybody else can unionise and organise, right? But learners and children can’t, so it’s incumbent on leaders in society to say, this is a crime; we cannot have this in our schools,” Gwarube, the former DA Chip Whip in the National Assembly, told Inside Education.

“I will certainly be working day and night to make sure that that is no longer a reality for many learners who essentially are poor, black pupils, subjected to these conditions because of the inequality that we experience in South Africa.”

In her first media interview 24 hours after being sworn in as Minister of Basic Education, replacing the long-serving Angie Motshekga, Gwarube said she was concerned about low literacy and numeracy levels as South Africa has fallen behind its peers globally and on the continent.

She said it was alarming that Grade 4 learners could not read for meaning since it was an advanced level of the foundation phase.

“That worries me because we are in trouble if we don’t correct the foundation. The second one is children are dying prematurely and unnecessarily because of unsafe infrastructure. Schools should not be graveyards. They should be places of opportunity and learning. And these two priorities are incredibly close to my heart,” she said.

“When one looks at the existence of pit latrines in South Africa, that there are still children in our democracy who die in these toilets, that is something that I am dedicating myself to working with other Cabinet colleagues, to say we want to eradicate the pit toilets as soon as possible. And we want to ensure that there are enough students and learners in our system who can read and read for meaning and are ready for an economy of the future.”

Regarding the controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, Gwarube said it was essential to separate the politics of the Government of National Unity from her work.

“We will have robust political engagement in the Government of National Unity. There will be policy discussions and disagreements. But when it comes to my work in the department, I do not want politics playing itself out.

“I want to assure anybody in the department or a stakeholder that the department’s work must be completely apolitical. We must ensure that we implement what is best for the system, not necessarily the interests of a political party.

“Regarding the opposition to the Bela Bill by the Democratic Alliance that is now in my current capacity, I’d have to look at this in its entirety. It’s important not to throw out the entire bill with the bathwater. The objectives of the Bela Bill are important and commendable – however, some sections concern stakeholders regarding the erosion of the powers of School Governing Bodies.

“I want to have an honest conversation with the President and use my Cabinet seat to say, look, Mr President, there’s an opportunity here. We can send this bill back to the National Assembly, but some of these things we can resolve and not tie this up in legal warfare for years. That will be my approach to say to the president, here’s the bill, and petition him to say, as my colleague, can we send this bill back to the National Assembly to discuss the contentious parts.”

Furthermore, Gwarube wants a curriculum review to understand how to adequately equip learners going through the system to start in grade R or the early child development centres and ensure they remain in the system until they leave grade 12.

“This is important because how do we ensure that the product they leave with – that matric certificate – is of quality and equips them for an economy of the future? That is the question that we must be asking.

“And we also must be asking ourselves, are we retaining enough learners across the system? It’s one thing to look at just the matric results and be content with that, but we’ve got to look at those results in context. Are those same people who started grade R the same number of students who finish?”

Of course, she said, while some learners branched off to TVET and Community Colleges, there must be a mechanism for tracking whether they are staying in school, getting a good quality education, and whether the educators are supportive, capacitated, and resourced enough to deliver a good quality product.

Turning to the importance of technology, she said it’s important to consider the department from a social level and one that had significant economic value.

“For me, that is the value of technology because you are equipping learners to vote for the economy of the future. Otherwise, I mean we are getting left behind around the globe. Countries like India have used technology to develop an entire industry of call centres and services for the rest of the world.

During her tenure, the Minister said she wants to explore public-private partnerships, especially in technological advancements, since it was in the interest of any significant economic player in South Africa to invest in the country’s future.

Citing the example of collaboration between the Chemical Industries Education & Training Authority (CHIETA) and private sector firm Highveld Industrial Park to launch the CHIETA SMART Skills Centre in rural Mpumalanga, she said society must step in, “because we can’t allow learners in South Africa to be left behind, while the rest of the world is doing incredible things in the world of technology”.

Since opening the first centre in Saldanha Bay in October 2022, more than 10,000 youth in rural areas have visited these centres to access free data services or print their CVs to apply for jobs. Smart Skills Centres have also opened in the Western Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the Brits Smart Skills Centre in the North West and Modjadjiskloof Smart Skills Centre in Limpopo.

“I think for the private sector, it’s not just as an act of kindness, there’s an economic incentive for them to invest in the technology of learners in South Africa.”

She would also like to see civic education fused into the curriculum to deepen democracy.

“The Independent Electoral Commission also has to come on board in terms of really activating that kind of work in schools in a nonpartisan way because what you want is to make sure that learners are civic-minded because we can’t have a situation where essentially half of the country’s population is checking out of the political system,” she said.

Concluding the interview with a question on the South African Democratic Teacher’s Union’s criticism of the DA getting the DBE portfolio, the Minister said she has no doubt she would work well with all stakeholders.

“I will orient myself, getting briefings from the department and our entities, like Umalusi and SACE, and meeting stakeholders, including unions and SGB bodies.

“My one message is, if your priority is to place the learner’s future at the centre of all we do, we will find each other. I cannot think of anything that will make us not get along.

“My understanding is that the union exists for its members, but its members are people who have dedicated themselves to educate learners, and if we can remember why they are there, why I am here, then we already have found common ground. I’m convinced that because our common interest is the learner’s future, we will certainly find each other,” she said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli

In yet another racist incident that is rocking the country, the Pinelands High School in the Western Cape Town, has had to suspend several pupils for racism and bullying after the emergence of a video depicting Coloured learners auctioning off caged Black learners.

In the video which went viral on social media, the learners can be seen joking about selling off their classmates to the highest bidder, with prices starting from R10 000.

The video was entitled “Slavery at schools is crazy”, and illustrated a learner pretending to be an auctioneer and conducting an attempted bidding process, selling the caged pupils.

Western Cape Education Department Communication Director Bronagh Hammond said the department was aware of the video and found it disturbing.

Hammond said the school has subsequently launched an investigation into the matter, and the department was taking the allegations seriously.

She said the learners have been interviewed, and counselling provided to those affected by the incident.

Hammond said a disciplinary meeting has been scheduled for later next month.

Earlier this month Pretoria High School for Girls suspended 12 learners after a racist incident  was exposed, where on their whites-only WhatsApp group  they demeaned fellow Black learners at the school.

INSIDE EDUCATION