By Johnathan Paoli

Six children who recently died in Naledi, Soweto, were exposed to an organophosphate pesticide known as terbufos, according to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

“This chemical is commonly used in agriculture, but is not intended for domestic use. Our investigations suggest that some spaza shop owners may be using it as a pesticide to manage rodent infestations,” Motsoaledi told reporters on Monday.

Five of the six friends died after eating chips from a spaza shop. The sixth learner died days later in hospital. There has been a dramatic increase in children falling ill after buying food from spaza shops.

This revelation follows an extensive investigation by a team of experts from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Initial speculation had suggested that the cause of death might be linked to carbamates, another class of chemicals.

However, Motsoaledi clarified that further toxicological assessments have definitively identified terbufos as the culprit.

The minister emphasised that children were particularly vulnerable to organophosphate exposure due to their smaller body mass and developing organs, which make them more susceptible to toxicity.

Symptoms of organophosphate poisoning include severe diarrhoea, vomiting and excessive salivation, which the minister said caregivers must be on the lookout for. .

Motsoaledi highlighted the importance of timely medical intervention, recommending intravenous atropine as the antidote for organophosphate and carbamate poisoning.

He urged healthcare professionals to utilise the AfriTox app, a tool designed to provide immediate guidance on managing poisoning cases.

Four individuals were arrested for allegedly illegally selling dangerous chemicals, however, Motsoaledi clarified that these arrests were not directly related to the terbufos poisoning case.

As investigations continue, authorities are urging community members to remain vigilant about food safety and to report any suspected cases of poisoning to local health officials.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The Department of Basic Education has raised concerns over a surge in reported food poisoning incidents affecting school-aged children.

Recent cases, occurring primarily during school hours, have disrupted teaching and learning, as schools have had to shift their focus to providing medical assistance to affected learners.

On Sunday, basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the negative psycho-social impact these incidents are having on both students and teachers, highlighting that schools should be safe havens for children.

The alarming trend appears to be linked to food items purchased from local vendors and spaza shops near school premises.

Mhlanga said while some media outlets have incorrectly associated these food poisoning cases with the National School Nutrition Programme, the department has clarified that no evidence supports this claim.

He said the NSNP plays a crucial role in addressing hunger and malnutrition among learners, providing nutritious meals to approximately 9.7 million students on school days, with a budget allocation of R9.8 billion for the 2024/25 financial year.

“With that said the DBE has the responsibility to intensify its efforts to improve food safety and hygiene practices and to raise awareness,” Mhlanga said in a media statement.

The Department has outlined five essential hygiene principles: maintaining cleanliness, separating raw and cooked foods, thorough cooking, keeping food at safe temperatures, and using safe water and materials.

Mhlanga said adherence to these guidelines is crucial in ensuring the health and safety of students consuming school meals.

He noted that many reported cases stem from food purchased through informal vendors rather than school meal programs.

Additionally, many tuck shops and vendors operating on or near school grounds do not comply with NSNP guidelines, further exacerbating the issue.

To tackle these challenges, Mhlanga has called on school governing bodies and management teams to take a proactive role in promoting the sale of healthy snacks and beverages.

Schools are encouraged to maintain a database of local food vendors and engage in discussions about the nutritional value of their offerings.

“Parents, guardians and caregivers are urged to be on high alert and to monitor the food items children consume and most importantly to verify the source of such items,” he said.

Mhlanga said the department has also extended its condolences to families affected by tragic incidents involving children who have succumbed to food poisoning, underscoring the urgent need for community involvement in safeguarding the health of young learners.

As the department continues to collaborate with various government agencies to address this pressing issue, it remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students in the education system.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Kathryn Watt and Chris Desmond

For the past two decades, investing in girls’ schooling has been hailed as a cornerstone of promoting gender equality in sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2016 and 2018 the World Bank Group invested US$3.2 billion in education projects benefiting adolescent girls.

The logic is straightforward. Girls face significant barriers to education, among them poverty, insufficient academic support, adolescent pregnancy, child marriage, and school related gender-based violence. Reducing these barriers can substantially improve their educational outcomes.

But is this approach – investing in girls’ education – fair to boys, and enough to make a meaningful impact on girls’ lives in the long term? Having studied the relationship between interventions and the way people’s lives develop in adverse contexts, we argue that the answer is no on both counts.

We explain this view in a recent paper. In it we compare the different effects of directing development assistance: improving girls’ school enrolment, prioritising schooling for both girls and boys, and addressing barriers to gender equality throughout life.

We used publicly available data for 136 low- and middle-income countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa. We calculated the female-to-male ratio for important education indicators in each country to show where girls are ahead, on par or behind boys.

Our findings suggest that the current focus on girls’ schooling may both unintentionally disadvantage boys and be a relatively inefficient means of advancing gender equality.

Girls’ and boys’ education in sub-Saharan Africa

We focused on two indicators to assess the current state of girls’ and boys’ education in the region:

Secondary school completion

Student performance in standardised test scores, known as harmonised learning outcomes

Harmonised learning outcomes measure learning and progress based on the results from seven different types of tests combined and made comparable among children attending school. They reflect the environmental inputs into learning and achievement, such as school quality. Completing secondary school, meanwhile, has been shown to increase a person’s potential for future development, opportunities for employment and higher education.

In most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, girls are behind boys on secondary school completion. The average completion rate for boys is 30%. For girls it is just 24%. In southern Africa specifically, girls have higher completion rates than boys.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the average harmonised learning outcomes score for boys is 301; it is 303 for girls. Our results show that, for most countries in the region, girls are achieving roughly equal scores to their male peers.

This suggests that gender gaps in education are not as pronounced as is often portrayed.

Firstly, although school completion rates are higher for boys, this gap is small, and overall completion rates remain low for both genders.

Secondly, where boys are averaging higher levels of completed schooling, it is not due to better academic performance. Once enrolled, girls in the region tend to keep up with boys in school completion and academic performance.

Rather than asking who is ahead, it’s more important to note that neither boys nor girls are doing well. Our results show that educational outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa – including school performance and completion – are alarmingly poor for both girls and boys.

So, if all children in the region are clearly in need of support, why target education interventions at girls alone?

Large disparities in later life

The key to gender equality lies in ensuring girls and boys, and men and women, have the same opportunities to reach their potential from early life, through late childhood and adolescence, into adulthood.

Research emphasises that human development does not hinge on any single factor such as schooling. Rather, it depends on capabilities built throughout life.

In early childhood, proper nutrition, among other things, is crucial for developing a child’s basic physical and cognitive capabilities. These early investments protect the potential for human development.

During childhood and adolescence, factors like quality schooling and social support allow young people to realise that potential.

Finally, in adulthood, social norms and job opportunities determine how fully a person can use their realised potential.

Our findings suggest that, on average, in low- and middle-income countries the development potential of girls and young women is protected and realised better than it is for boys and young men. But later in life, women don’t have as many opportunities as men to use that potential.

This implies that initiatives focused on girls’ schooling are likely not the most effective means of promoting girls’ development or reducing gender gaps.

Large disparities emerge later in girls’ lives. For example, our findings show that women earn less than men in almost every country in sub-Saharan Africa. These results reflect how patriarchal norms, particularly the unequal burden of housework and childcare, tend to push women into lower-paid informal or part-time work. Even when similarly qualified and in comparable positions, women typically earn less than men.

These findings, when considered in the context of the current state of education in the region, challenge the idea that focusing solely on girls’ education is enough to promote their lifelong development or meaningfully reduce gender inequalities.

The argument that boys should not receive the same support as girls is weak.

How to promote greater gender equality in sub-Saharan Africa

Targeted interventions are likely to have the greatest impact where girls and women face the greatest barriers: in using their potential. That means, for example:

recognising the unpaid household and caregiving work that women shoulder

improving women’s access to better job opportunities in paid and formal work

challenging discriminatory laws and social norms.

Social protection policies, including childcare and reproductive health services, can ease women’s caregiving burden and give them the time and agency to fully participate in politics, the economy and society.

There are also opportunities beyond government, where support for trade unions, for instance, has been shown to help narrow gender wage gaps.

Addressing gender inequality requires a life-course approach. It should involve quality education for both genders, and tackling the policies, practices and social norms that marginalise women and girls, especially in the later stages of their lives.

Watt is Research Manager, The Asenze Project, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Desmond is Professor, Derek Schrier and the Cecily Cameron Chair in Development Economics, SEF, University of the Witwatersrand

This article was originally published in The Conversation

By Johannah Malogadihlare

The Dietetics and Nutrition Department of the Western Cape University has emphasised the importance of facilitating garden projects as a means to address food shortages and poverty.

Third year BSc dietetic students are working on the project.

“It was inspiring to see how our efforts allowed students to apply community-based programming principles as part of an assignment based on nutritional programming principles, that aimed to highlight and promote a healthy food environment on campus where nutrients can flourish and students can thrive,” said dietetics lecturer Elsabe Nel said.

She said the garden consisted of indigenous and medicinal plants that would fulfil the curriculum requirements of students, while assisting the pedagogical requirements of staff.

Several students expressed their experience during the entire process as being fun and gratifying.

Third-year student Caleigh Hanekom celebrated being able to identify useful plants in her studies.

“We can now identify some of the vegetable and medicinal plants. The entire process was a lot of fun,” Hanekom said.

UWC horticulturist and manager of gardens and grounds maintenance section, Jade Leon, praised the development and growth of the project since it started three years ago.

“It started off small three years ago, and has now become a much bigger garden. It’s a good initiative, and in the long run, gardens like these could become a solution to food insecurity issues experienced on campus,” Leon said.

National Research Fund nutrition head, Prof. Rina Swart mentioned that finding a suitable space to produce food has been a challenge for a long time.

Swart said that she believed that the food garden would inform the development of effective nutrition programmes and improve dietary diversity in communities.

Her department confirmed that while the garden’s establishment aligned with the university’s goal of reaching global sustainable development goals, the concept addressed the first and second goals of no poverty and zero hunger.

Swart also emphasised the importance of the garden as a means to expose students with practical experience and to enhance their understanding of nutrition and sustainable food systems.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Edwin Naidu

The financial sustainability of South Africa’s tertiary sector and the way it is governed are crucial.

“If the higher education sector is to continue catalysing social mobility in future generations, we need to invest in our universities now rather than later,” said Dr Phethiwe Matutu, the CEO Universities South Africa (USAf).

She was speaking at a recent conference on the future of higher education.

Matutu, who heads the country’s representative body of all university vice-chancellors, expressed concern about the sustainability of the country’s tertiary system, which has been hit by severe budget cuts.

She warned that declining state subsidies, mismanagement of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and neglect of funding for postgraduate studies could collectively harm the population.

In 2024, Matutu noted that the state subsidy had declined in absolute terms. If it grew slower than the rising student enrolment, the higher education system would experience sustainability problems.

The sector’s financial sustainability was a major concern at the recent Third Higher Education Conference in South Africa by USAf, which was themed: “The Future of the University.”

Former University of Johannesburg vice-chancellor Prof. Ihron Rensburg expressed concern about governance at the country’s universities, saying he worries about their long-term sustainability.

“It is difficult not to conclude that university governance – and key departments in the DHET (Department of Higher Education and Training) are broken – and that current governance arrangements are outdated and have served their time.

“We have people who often give unqualified friends or colleagues, who are not ideal for the role, opportunities because of prestige or to capture a particular part of the institution,” he said.

Rensburg said he had had to administer a serial defaulting institution with a close-up view of institutional capture concerning the human resources and management processes.

“We need to go back to basics when we think of the university’s future if it is to be sustainable. Suppose we continue to allow governance to be broken as it currently is. In that case, we are going to have perpetual crises and serial defaulting institutions going into administration, and we are rushing in to try and fix them. But if nothing changes five years later, it will return to the same dire situation.”

He said if the sector was to survive and thrive, the solution was a special kind of better leader who could navigate this new reality and the unfolding future.

“The last thing universities need are high ego personalities who are often toxic. Rather, we want to promote and nurture medium to low-ego leaders who, in turn, foster harmony and fellowship and are compassionate and empathetic as opposed to a top-down, strong-arm type approach, which has been clearly shown not to work. We should nudge our teams rather than kick them.

“This does not mean we cannot make decisions or have to walk on eggshells, but we do have to be self-aware and realise that we are part of a collective working for the common good.”

He urged some university leadership to go back to the drawing board.

He believes the root of the governance problem lies in the sector’s leadership ignoring the prescripts in the Guidelines for Good Governance Practice and Governance Indicators for University Councils (DHET, 2017).  

His advice to the sector contained intersecting and mutually reinforcing leadership philosophies, including ubuntu and transformational leadership.

He said the four key attributes of transformational leaders were that they were charismatic, inspirational, intellectually stimulating and encouraged critical thinking and problem-solving, and were considerate of individual team members.

He said these styles challenged leaders to consider, explore and reflect on their reasons for being in their role.

“But also consider my dictum: Don’t be obsessed with yourself regularly and consciously. Do not take yourself too seriously, however, take your office and role exceedingly seriously.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Alicia Mmashakana

The North West’s transport and education committees have expressed complete discontent with the unacceptable state of the province’s scholar transport.

This emerged after numerous complaints and a recent oversight visit by both committees, which inspected the state of scholar transport operations in the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District.

Safety and transport management chairperson Freddy Sonakile said: “The department’s failure to provide scholar transport to learners who need [it] is a deprivation of their right to education and must never be tolerated.”

A joint oversight meeting was held on Thursday, during which the community safety and transport management and the education department were held accountable for the province’s unacceptable state of scholar transportation.

The departments made presentations on the situation where the joint committees issued firm recommendations, demanding immediate action.

“The department should conduct unannounced roadworthy tests for all scholar transport service providers between now and December throughout the province and must launch a full investigation into the possibility that some service providers fraudulently passed the verification process,” Sonakile said.

He said that a meeting with all unpaid service providers must be held within two weeks, and all outstanding payments must be expedited where services have been provided.

Sonakile added that following the committees’ investigations, which revealed negligence and serious risks to learners’ safety, an electronic monitoring system should be in place and operational by January 2025.

Non-compliant buses operating at Mampho Secondary, Kromellenboog Combined, Botoka Secondary, Resolofetse Secondary, Phakedi Primary, Letlhasedi Combined and Reabona Primary schools must be revoked immediately.

The committees also conceded that the education department should conduct an urgent study to locate the 9045 students who were not part of the scholar transport across the province.

“The study must include the affected schools, identify whether these students are still attending and whether they have dropped out, and assess the full impact.

“They must also submit a detailed report on the 21 learners of Phakedi Primary School who last attended school in March 2023 due to a lack of scholar transport after the previous service provider’s contract expired,” Sonakile said.

The committee has referred the matter to the SA Human Rights Commission for investigation given that it suspects it was a clear violation of the learners’ right to education.

“We call for a zero-tolerance approach toward those who are putting children at risk. The rights of learners are non-negotiable and must be safeguarded at all costs,” he said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

The Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) has launched a digital initiative aimed at revolutionising the way young people access information about careers in the construction industry.

South Africa’s  construction industry, a vital contributor to the country’s GDP, has long struggled with a severe shortage of skilled workers. This shortage has resulted in project delays, reduced quality of work and higher labour costs.

In efforts to address the critical skills shortage, CETA has introduced the Careers for Tomorrow’s Impact programme.

Developed in partnership with Yalina, Primestars and the YouthStart Foundation, the programme seeks to empower high school learners from under-resourced communities to pursue careers in construction and the built environment.

It offers learners a comprehensive understanding of the construction sector, introducing them to various career paths, including engineering, plumbing, bricklaying and electrical work.

Emphasis is placed on science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines, ensuring learners are equipped to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven industry.

Speaking at the launch of the programme on Thursday, CETA strategic partnerships head Koketso Maimela emphasised the importance of adapting to the digital age, citing the widespread use of smartphones and online platforms among young people. 

“We need to move with the times,” Maimela said. “The best way to reach young people is through their devices and digital media.”

The new initiative focuses on creating immersive and accessible experiences for learners, particularly in rural and township areas. 

CETA has developed innovative digital platforms, simplified language and interactive content to engage young people and provide them with valuable information about construction careers.

The initiative boasts several key features designed to engage and educate young people about careers in the construction industry. 

Maimela said at its core, the programme utilised easy-to-navigate digital platforms, ensuring that learners could effortlessly access and explore the available resources. 

Additionally, the content was presented in accessible language, free from technical jargon, making it understandable to a wide audience. 

To further enhance the learning experience, she said the initiative incorporated immersive experiences, including interactive exhibits and simulations, which provided a hands-on glimpse into the world of construction. 

The programme prioritised targeted outreach to rural and township areas, bridging the gap in access to information and opportunities for these communities.

Maimela highlighted the programme’s potential to empower the workers of tomorrow. 

“This initiative shows young people that there are options available to them, and provides the information they need to make informed decisions about their careers,” she said.

It also aimed to upskill existing construction workers, addressing the industry’s skills gap. 

Maimela noted that while global construction trends were shifting towards technology and automation, South Africa’s context required a balance between technological advancement and social considerations.

Looking ahead, CETA plans to expand the programme’s reach, aiming to engage 10,000 learners in the first phase and doubling that number in subsequent phases.

“This is just the beginning. We want to make digital education a culture in every programme we implement, providing opportunities for young people to access information and pursue careers in construction,” Maimela said.

“CETA is committed to bridging this gap by nurturing the next generation of construction professionals,” said CETA CEO Malusi Shezi. 

“Through Careers for Tomorrow’s Impact, we’re not only shaping the future of our industry, but also transforming lives and communities.”

On breaking down barriers for women in construction, Shezi said the programme challenges the stereotype that construction was men’s work. 

“Women have an essential role to play in building our society,” Shezi emphasised.

“We’re committed to empowering young women to succeed in this field.”

The launch marks a significant step forward in CETA’s commitment to innovation and accessibility, poised to transform the construction industry’s approach to education and training.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Lungile Ntimba 

Two months ago, Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mimmy Gondwe launched a help desk to provide students in the Post-School and Education Sector with a platform to raise their concerns.

As of 22 October, the desk had received 4013 queries. On average, the desk receives between 30 to 90 emails a day and has a resolution rate of about 73%.

The deputy minister noted that many complaints were from students waiting for their diplomas and certificates, statements of their results and combining of their National Certificate: Vocational, which was an alternative option and equivalent to a Matric Certificate.

Gondwe said the department’s diploma section hadstarted issuing qualifying students with letters confirming that they had graduated and were waiting for their diplomas to be issued.

She pointed out that other enquiries typically related to matters pertaining to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, TVET colleges and community colleges.

The Deputy Minister noted that many students were concerned that they attended graduation ceremonies,but did not receive their certificates. 

“It is clear from the take up of the desk that students have longed for a platform where they could express their frustration and get a human response in real time or as soon thereafter as applicable. We are taking up the lessons learnt in the last few months as we seek more innovative ways such as using technology, to respond quicker and offer a more effective service to students,” said Gondwe.

“This is part of my intention to be accessible, accountable and available to the most important stakeholders in the higher education and training sector- the student. I am delighted that students receive personalised feedback on the queries they send to the desk.”

While the desk, which is in the office of the Deputy Minister, is empowered to advise students on certain matters, it escalates and brings issues it cannot advise on to relevant officials for their response and resolution.  

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

South Africa’s Technical Vocational Education and Training colleges are facing significant difficulties in implementing the Post-Provisioning Norms framework, including staff placements, according to the Higher Education and Training Department. 

These challenges, which were highlighted during a presentation by the department to the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training on Wednesday, revolved around budget constraints, staff placements and compliance with recruitment processes.

The TVET PPN policy supports the implementation of Section 20 of the Continuing Education and Training Act, which authorises the minister to establish posts within a structure, with remuneration aligned to the department’s budget and strategy.

However, full implementation of the PPN for TVET colleges could not be achieved in 2021/22 due to incomplete or delayed submission of necessary information by the colleges. 

This further caused delays in finalising verification processes and transferring staff to the public service’s payroll.

According to the department, in the 2021/22 financial year, only 24 of the 50 colleges were able to process the PPNs, with the remaining 26 colleges scheduled for processing from 1 April 2022.

Despite progress in some areas, Rhulani Ngwenya, who is the department’s deputy director-general for corporate management, said that many institutions were grappling with financial shortfalls and delays, impacting their ability to fully implement the PPNs.

One of the key issues flagged in the presentation was budgetary constraints, with several colleges warning of potential overspending if the PPNs were fully implemented. 

Ngwenya cited Buffalo City College in East London as an example, saying it would require an additional R12 million.

“If they had proceeded and implemented to the end, they would have had to overspend on the budget,” Ngwenya noted. 

She said other colleges such as King Hintsa College in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape, also reported difficulties due to disagreements over staff placements, leaving some employees unmatched with positions and still on the payroll.

In addition to financial challenges, Ngwenya pointed to inefficiencies in the staff matching and placement process, with concerns over whether employees were placed in roles that aligned with their skills and experience. 

The department has identified key vacant positions, including three principal positions in Community Education and Training (CET) colleges in Limpopo, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, as well as eight vacancies in TVET colleges.

Ngwenya said that to address these gaps, a recruitment plan was underway, prioritising 92 positions, with dedicated advertisements for college principals, deputy principals and campus managers.

The department aimed to fill these vacancies by January 2025.

“We could have done better in terms of the management of systems of internal control,” a report from the department presented to the committee said.

It recommended further budget reprioritisation and a review of placement procedures to address the remaining challenges.

Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie expressed frustration with the department’s presentations, saying that the vacancies dated as far back as the 2020/21 financial year.

Letsie said the presentations failed to provide satisfactory explanations why there had been a delay in filling the positions.

He emphasised that simply stating “we could have done better” was insufficient.

Letsie criticised the lack of accountability, noting that there was no evidence of consequence management against those responsible for the vacancies. 

The chairperson also highlighted concerns about individuals being placed in positions that they were unqualified for due to inadequate internal controls.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

After spending 12 years establishing the SPARK Schools’ network throughout Gauteng and the Western Cape, the new managing director of the group has announced plans to expand into Africa.

“We’re ready to build a brand for the continent and provide underserved communities with access to world-class education,” managing director Earl Sampson told a media briefing.

“Our goal is to make high-quality education accessible to all and we’re committed to incorporating the best global practices to achieve this vision.”

He said the network’s commitment to blended learning, teacher training and data-driven instruction had yielded impressive results, including a 97% pass rate for the 2023 matric exams.

Since its inception in 2012, the group has grown to 26 primary and high schools. They accommodate nearly 16,000 learners.

The network was recently named as one of Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies by the Financial Times and Statista, and one of Time Magazine’s top 250 EdTech companies worldwide.

Sampson said key initiatives also included opening new schools across South Africa, particularly in Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

“SPARK Schools has shown that disruption in the education sector can make a tangible difference,” he said.

“We’re now poised to take this impact to the next level, empowering communities across Africa with the education solution they deserve.”

He said the network had achieved numerous milestones over the past decade, including implementing Africa’s first blended learning model for primary school scholars and investing heavily in teacher training, with over 200 hours of professional development annually. 

The network’s emphasis on data-driven instruction enabled personalised learning pathways, while its values-driven approach cultivated responsible global citizens through the core values of service, persistence, achievement, responsibility and kindness, Sampson said.

As SPARK Schools embarked on its next chapter, Sampson said its commitment to revolutionising education on the continent remained unwavering. 

INSIDE EDUCATION