By Lungile Ntimba

Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane has reminded schools that corporal punishment has been outlawed following a principal from Hammanskraal being investigated by authorities.

He said on Wednesday that the principal would report to the district office as a precaution while an internal investigation was conducted.

According to the department, one learner from Madisong High School claimed to have been physically assaulted earlier this year, while another reported being hurt on the hand after allegedly being punished for missing a holiday catch-up programme.

“We are extremely disheartened by these reports and remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring schools are safe spaces for all learners,” Chiloane said in a statement.

“We remind all staff that corporal punishment is strictly prohibited by law, and any violation will be met with swift and decisive action.”

The parents of the learners have been encouraged to open a case with the police.

The MEC emphasised the department’s ongoing efforts to conduct advocacy campaigns to reinforce that corporal punishment was prohibited in all schools.

He said any educator accused of assault would be subjected to a formal disciplinary process.

Education support teams have been dispatched to offer psychosocial and emotional support to affected learners and their families.

“Learners and community members are encouraged to report any cases of abuse through various communication channels to their nearest district office,” said Chilloane.

“The department assures all learners that reported cases, anonymous or otherwise, are investigated thoroughly.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Lungile Ntimba

Most deaths from cervical cancer and breast cancer among women can be preventable with earlier detection, according to Prof. Greta Dreyer, an expert in obstetrics and gynaecology from University of Pretoria (UP).

Dreyer delivered an inaugural address, titled: “Preventing Premature Cancer Death”, emphasising that despite available medical advancements such as vaccines and screenings, many women were still diagnosed late.

“Losing a South African woman means we lose part of the backbone of society,” she said in a statement.

“They are the educators and mentors, they are the entrepreneurs, the core of rural and agricultural development and the pillar of homes.”

Dreyer highlighted that millions of children relied on mothers as sole breadwinners and many families were collapsing, yet cervical cancer deaths were largely avoidable.

She said while breast cancer has more public awareness and attention, cervical cancer was nearly as common and more deadly. 

According to Dreyer, this was largely due to stigma because this was an intimate disease and there were systemic barriers to screening. 

“Women do not speak about their diagnosis and generally do not survive long, leading to reduced consciousness of the problem,” she said.

Dreyer’s research has revealed that globally, human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 lead to about 70% cervical cancer cases. 

When she studied South African women, she discovered that this percent was smaller and that HPV35 was another very common type, particularly in women living with HIV.

Dreyer, in collaboration with international researchers and local universities, has developed PreTect SA screening test, designed to detect the eight most oncogenic HPV types in South Africa—an innovation that could prevent up to 90% of cervical cancers if widely implemented.

Dreyer also started a programme that links HPV vaccination for schoolgirls with cancer screening for mothers. She believes more public education and better access to screening can save many lives.

She said cytology-based screening methods, such as the traditional Pap smear, were difficult to sustain in under-resourced settings. 

“Cytology-based screening is highly dependent on health infrastructure, repeated testing, call and recall, and thus cannot be expected to work in South Africa,” she said.

Dreyer said her team found that using simple self-tests, like tampon samples, worked just as well and was easier for women to do.

She was part of the university’s team that identified BRCA1 and BRCA2 founder mutations among Afrikaner women.

These research findings enabled targeted risk-reduction strategies such as genetic testing, preventive surgery and hormone therapy.

Dreyer’s current collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research explores personalised treatment options for aggressive forms of endometrial cancer.

“Among African women, endometrial cancer often involves the highly aggressive types, for which we lack therapeutic options,” she explained.

“This urgent need for new therapy for high grade cancer motivated us to collaborate with the CSIR drug-repurposing group.”

She said this new research was aimed at personalising therapeutic decisions by growing fresh tumour material to be tested on an individualised, personalised medicine platform. 

It also seeks to identify and test unusual chemotherapeutic drugs and combinations that could lead to new drugs and new drug combinations.

“Cancer control relies on implementing the most applicable technologies in an affordable, sustainable way,” Dreyer said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) students have made it clear they do not want bail granted to the 54-year-old residence manager accused of fatally shooting student Sisonke Mbolekwa. 

The suspect, identified as Manelisi Mampane, appeared briefly in the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where it was confirmed that his bail application would be heard on 2 May.

He remains in custody and is facing charges of murder and attempted murder after allegedly opening fire on a group of students during a protest at WSU’s Mthatha campus.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the firearm used in the shooting was not licensed.

According to the evidence, the weapon was illegally obtained by the residence manager and used to shoot three students, killing one and injuring two others.

One of the students remains in a critical condition in hospital with a bullet in his waist.

Speaking on Tuesday, WSU Students Representative Council (SRC) leader Themba Zikhali reiterated the students’ stance against bail for the accused.

“As Walter Sisulu students, we are very clear with the mandate that saying we don’t need [him] in our society anymore. We want him to rot in jail and justice must prevail, we are calling for no bail,” Zikhali said.

“It’s a very emotional day for everyone because Sisonke was a comrade. We were living with him on a daily basis, so to see that really he’s gone, it’s very emotional to us, but we have to show strength and resilience towards the situation.”

Institutional Student Representative Council president Abalungile Madikizela also stressed that the accused should remain behind bars

“Firstly, I am relieved with the turnout that we are seeing today of people who are here to support the family of Sisonke in seeking justice. It goes to show that what has happened in the university is not being taken lightly by the student community as well as community members who have decided to show up,” she said.

“From our view as students we believe that with everything that has happened, he has not shown any indication that he regrets what has happened or that it was a mistake because if that was the case, he would have handed himself over to the police. But what happened is that the police had to chase him up and down the country begging him to hand himself over for his actions.”

The shooting occurred during a protest by students who had reportedly stormed the manager’s on-campus home to raise concerns about poor living conditions in university residences accredited by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. 

Students cited cracked walls, broken ceilings and shattered tiles as some of the issues.

During the confrontation, the residence manager allegedly fired into the crowd. His vehicle was also reportedly set alight during the incident.

The magistrate said that the shooting was being treated as a domestic violence matter, and barred the media from attending the proceedings. 

However, several students gathered outside the court building, chanting slogans and holding placards demanding justice.

An independent investigation, led by retired Justice Chris Jafta and a team of legal experts, is currently underway to examine the events that led to the student’s death and to determine whether there were any failures in how the university handled the situation.

Mampane remains in custody.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johannah Malogadihlare

Mpumalanga premier Mandla Ndlovu has assured the public that an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of funds in the acquisition of laptops by the provincial education department is at an advanced stage.

It recently came to light that the department spent over R2 million on office laptops meant for 22 individuals with each costing over R90,000.

“Because of the seriousness of this issue, once the investigation is finalised next week, we will inform the public,” Ndlovu said in a statement on Tuesday.

The premier said his administration would be guided by the principles of good governance to ensure that the acquisition of services by the state followed sound financial grounds.

“The investigation seeks to gather facts, supporting evidence and verify any information or documentation at their disposal, in light of applicable legislation,” said Ndlovu.

The department confirmed over the weekend that it spent the money on new laptops in December last year.

It said that the devices came at a high cost and were meant for its Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teams.

Other officials whose operational responsibilities required high-performance computing equipment also benefitted.

Ndlovu has urged that no one interrupts the investigation process.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johannah Malogadihlare

The KwaZulu-Natal education department has moved to allay fears that teachers will not be paid due to insufficient funds.

This follows media reports that the department would struggle to cover more than 2000 teachers’ salaries in the budget.

“The funds for the payment of teachers’ salaries will continue to be ringfenced from the allocated budget, which makes the payment of salaries guaranteed,” said provincial education spokesperson Mlu Mtshali.

“We wish to state for the record that the teachers are and will continue to be the most valuable assets of the education sector. They are an important part of the reason why the department of education in KwaZulu-Natal continues to perform despite the successive cuts to its budget.”

Mtshali said in a statement on Tuesday that the department had no intention of disrupting teachers’ livelihoods by withholding salaries.

He said education MEC Sipho Hlomuka would provide details on the budget during the department’s budget vote speech next week.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

The family of Lizwa Sinoyolo Ndzumo, a Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student who survived a fatal shooting on campus last week, has accused the university of providing false information and failing to support them in the aftermath of the incident.

Ndzumo, a second-year BSc Environmental Studies student, was shot allegedly by a residence manager last Tuesday, during a student protest over poor living conditions at the university residences. His fellow student, Sisonke Mbolekwa, was also shot and later died from his injuries. 

The 54-year-old man accused of shooting students was arrested and faces charges of murder and attempted murder. He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.

Speaking to Inside Politics, Ndzumo’s aunt, Ayabonga Ndzumo, who is also his guardian, expressed frustration with the university’s handling of the situation.

“WSU has not contacted us since the day Lizwa was shot—not until Thursday morning,” she said. “And when they finally did, they lied.”

She stated that university officials informed the family that Ndzumo had been injured but was already discharged from the hospital.

“I had to correct them—Lizwa was shot. What they said about minor injuries was completely false. As we speak, he’s still in hospital, in a critical condition, with a bullet in his waist.”

Due to concerns over Ndzumo’s safety, the family transferred him to a different hospital outside Mthatha, the name of which they have chosen not to disclose. 

They also reported that the university has not offered any financial assistance for his medical expenses.

Ndzumo was reportedly the first person shot during the confrontation. Despite his injuries, he assisted in transporting Mbolekwa to the hospital with the help of another student who had a car.

“Lizwa told us that if the hospital staff hadn’t taken so long to assist them when they arrived, Sisonke might still be alive. He died in Lizwa’s arms.”

The family has refrained from commenting on the arrest of the residence manager but questioned the impartiality of the police response.

“We have no feelings about the arrest. The police have already shown us whose side they’re on.”

The family remains focused on Ndzumo’s recovery as doctors work to remove the bullet from his waist.

“Our only priority is Lizwa’s health. WSU will have to answer for their role in this, one way or another,” Dzumo said.

In the wake of the shooting, WSU management ordered students to vacate campus residences by Friday, citing safety concerns. 

Tensions escalated into violent confrontations between students and private security personnel. The clashes came after the university issued an eviction notice to students, which the Student Representative Council has strongly opposed, citing unresolved grievances related to campus living conditions.

The SRC filed an urgent application to the Mthatha High Court to halt the evictions. 

The court ruled in favor of the SRC, interdicting the university from evicting students and also prohibiting students from damaging university property.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Edwin Naidu

What must be done to halt the flood of disinformation and misinformation campaigns on social media and digital platforms, which have increased fourfold in Africa in two years?

More regulation certainly is not the answer.

According to the latest report by the African Centre for Strategic Studies, 39 continental countries participated last year.

Worryingly, Russia remains the “primary purveyor of disinformation in Africa”, followed by China and “domestic political actors” (also involved in South Africa’s general elections in 2024).

The report states that these campaigns have “destabilising consequences” and “real world harm” and diminish “Africans’ rights, freedoms and security”.

Now, leading academics, media professionals, local and international journalists, and authors are making a clarion call to combine the African diaspora’s collective intellectual and regulatory capacity. This would leverage its powers and hold these platforms and companies accountable for enabling the proliferation of disinformation.

Said one: “In the end, we have to confront the power of these companies… and this pressure must lead to self-regulation.”

The issue came to the fore at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) last week, when it hosted a roundtable on “Speaking the Truth by Understanding the Untruth: Addressing Fake News and Disinformation in South Africa and the African Continent”.

Hosted by Higher Education Media Services, panellists included UJ Vice-Chancellor Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi; the Executive Director of the Press Council of South Africa, Phathiswa Magopeni; author, Executive Director of the Henry Nxumalo Foundation and former Wits University journalism professor, Anton Harber; communications and media head at UJ, Professor Admire Mare; award-winning Kenyan science and investigative journalist, Mary Mwendwa; Reggy Moalusi of the South African National Editor’s Forum; and senior lecturer in media and communications at the University of Mauritius and member of the African Journalism Education Network, Christina Chan-Meetoo.

Mpedi, said the roundtable aimed to urgently “explore fighting for the truth” through practical means. He painted a bleak picture of the current malaise:

“As we increasingly see the power of generative AI models, disinformation will undoubtedly spread at a sickening rate. While this takes a global bend, the impact on Africa cannot be ignored.” 

The African Centre analysis painted a bleak picture of an increasingly sophisticated disinformation landscape. It said that, together with the foreign and domestic purveyors of disinformation on various digital platforms, there were “significant consequences for democratic processes and stability” in Africa.

It said that enhanced media literacy was required, fostering collaboration among various stakeholders and, more significantly, regulating the digital space.  

Journalism luminary and author Harber said the continent must unite in the same way the European Union did to combat the spread of disinformation and hold the powerful owners of unregulated multimedia platforms to account.

“We have to get together and combine the strengths of our various countries to hold these huge platforms (such as Facebook, X and TikTok) to account. We can’t allow them to continue with their extraordinary power and influence – only to be unaccountable.”

He said that while this may prove difficult, African states needed to reassert their sovereignty and generate regulation and a set of rules over these platforms, as they do in Europe, Australia, and Brazil.

“In the end, we have to confront the power of these organisations.  One prefers self-regulation. We had been optimistic that Facebook/Meta was moving towards self-regulation … they were on that path, but they stepped back in the last few months. That is a big, big blow in the fight against disinformation.”

He added that, continentally, one hoped that finding a common voice and exerting pressure over these companies would lead to self-regulation.

“Failing that, governments will have to look at prudent regulation. However, the fear of censorship, compromising and creating regulations that could be abused to silence people is very real, so regulation is complex and difficult and needs to be careful. Still, we may have to do it.” 

He said disinformation was not a new phenomenon in the media space, saying every new media technology “has brought a wave of disinformation and a panic about disinformation”.

Mare agreed, saying that tackling the issues of disinformation and regulation cannot be left to individual countries alone.

“We need to have a considered effort. Countries that are considered to be the marginal markets should team up and find ways to have one collaborative voice around the need to regulate. Otherwise, we won’t have the leverage if we speak as individual countries.”

He said it was “unfortunate” that the African Union was not doing much at a continental level to tackle the problem and explore continental regulations.

“The European Union is doing something, Australia has done something as well as Canada … so we need to have all these (African) voices coming together to speak as one.”

Magopeni said: “The superspreaders and farmers of disinformation on the platforms have the biggest authority to legitimise disinformation. It is a big problem, so the idea of teaming up or collaborating among governments rings true because misinformation is a cross-border problem (as well as a transnational one.”

She said evidence of this was the recent campaign waged by AfriForum in the United States that ended up with multimedia claims by, among others, the US President of a “white genocide” taking place in South Africa. 

“We thus need a multi-pronged approach (to combat) disinformation and misinformation,” she said.    

Chan-Meetoo concurred that disinformation was a problem in Mauritius, especially within the political realm. She said: “We need to team up as countries … it is essential we collaborate to have leverage.” 

She said cross-border collaboration was also essential for drafting universal regulations, creating fact-checking tools, conducting journalism training and media literacy, and incorporating misinformation and disinformation into mainstream education.

Mwendwa said standalone laws like that in her home country were generally ineffective. “We already have a law in Kenya, the Cyber Crimes and Computer Misuse Act, but the implementation of this is very weak, and not many know how to use it.”

She said disinformation in Africa was spreading rapidly due to technological advances and the easy availability of digital platforms and smartphones.

“It is being used in political spaces to promote hate speech and agendas … while one of the biggest issues is online harassment – especially of women politicians and journalists who hold the authorities to account.” 

Like her peers, she also called for a holistic approach to the issue, saying: “The public is grappling with this… some simply do not know how to differentiate between misinformation/disinformation and real news… therefore the public needs to be sensitised to these things so that they can discern the real news.”

Something must be done quickly to address this growing problem.

Edwin Naidu is the Editor of Inside Education.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Edwin Naidu

The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) has demonstrated the value of regional collaboration throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative comprises 17 public science funding agencies and continues to grow and evolve.

Regional collaboration has been central to peer learning and collective action, playing a transformative role in the African science landscape.

The SGCI is transforming Africa’s science, technology, and innovation landscape by placing governments and the research community at the forefront of science, technology, and innovation research to address their priorities and drive meaningful change.

Abraham Mathodi, acting deputy director of Botswana’s Ministry of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, emphasised the crucial role of partnerships in addressing Africa’s challenges through science collaboration.

Although Botswana does not yet have a dedicated science agency, it has demonstrated a strong commitment to research and innovation through active participation in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI).

Speaking during the 2024 Annual African Science Granting Councils Meeting in Gaborone, Mathodi said local impacts on communities should be felt across the continent.

He said Botswana’s active participation in initiative was a catalyst for accessing broader collaborative opportunities. Through the SGCI, Botswana has engaged in initiatives like the National Research Foundation’s OR Tambo Africa Research Initiative and the Africa-Japan collaborative research programme (AJ-Core).

Mathodi explained that SGCI membership has enabled Botswana to join the Global Research Council (GRC). This has helped to expand its network and access to potential funders significantly.

It also opened doors to the Global North and enabled collaboration that was previously inaccessible. Mathodi stressed that these resilient partnerships helped to foster co-production among research communities across different nations.

While many collaborative projects were still in the research phase, Mathodi expressed strong confidence in their potential to improve lives in Botswana.

He cited a project presented by the Botswana University of Science and Technology as an example of the transformative potential of these collaborations. He reckons that the impact of these projects, once completed, would be substantial. Many communities would benefit.

Reflecting on Botswana’s SGCI and GRC conference hosting in November 2024, Mathodi was excited about the opportunity.  He noted that this was Botswana’s first time physically hosting the event. Previously, the southern African nation partnered with Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso for a virtual conference hosting during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Mathodi said that the conference provided a clear roadmap for the SGCI. It also helped raise local stakeholders’ awareness about the SGCI and GRC. He was particularly pleased to observe local universities engaging with potential partners. This occurred both during and outside of the meetings. This, according to Mathodi, aligned with the SGCI’s goal of providing a platform for stakeholders to establish a presence in the global research landscape.

Furthermore, Mathodi was optimistic about the long-term impact of these collaborations on the nation’s progress.

It was critical to leverage partnerships, particularly within the SGCI, to create resilient and sustainable funding models for science collaboration in Africa, according to Cephus Adjei Mensah, director for research, statistics, and information management and head of the Research Council of Ghana.

He emphasized co-creation as a core requirement. Mensah said the long-term Africa, water, energy and food programme was a successful example of multiple science granting councils pooling resources. This spoke to co-creating research calls and allowed for greater impact than individual councils funding projects internally.

Mensah also mentioned the DEMO forum and the National Research Foundation’s COVID-19 Africa Rapid Grant Fund as initiatives that have fostered funding resilience and sustainability.

He highlighted the importance of leveraging science granting councils as key tools for building partnerships and fostering independence in African science ecosystems. He emphasised peer-to-peer learning through forums, workshops and collaborative research. A successful collaboration with Zambia was highlighted as an example.

He noted that the SGCI has enabled connections to external networks. This helped increase visibility and recognition for councils.

Mensah explained how councils could act as enablers. They could do this by linking institutions and experts.  And could also influence funding decisions through demonstrated expertise.

Regarding visibility, Mensah described how Ghana’s council has established itself as a recognised entity through the SGCI. They have focused on accessibility, rapport-building and targeted engagement through collaboration with various stakeholders within the research ecosystem.

Participation in the SGCI has also opened doors to global platforms. The Global Research Council has provided opportunities. Best practices and the ability to influence policy were shared.

Mensah praised Ghana’s involvement in shaping the national agenda for science, technology and innovation, which he said demonstrated the council’s growing influence.

Mensah suggested that councils improve their internal mechanisms for documenting and communicating their work. This would include developing policy briefs and tracking success stories.

He also desired to learn from other councils’ experiences in addressing administrative and policy challenges. Looking ahead, Mensah hopes to strengthen Ghana’s council by leveraging past achievements and exploring new opportunities.

He envisions the council becoming a policy driver and advisor on research funding, forging new partnerships, and enhancing cross-border research collaboration. He wants to learn from other councils’ best practices to address challenges and improve the effectiveness of his own council. Ultimately, Mensah wants to enhance the capacity of African science granting councils to be stronger and more impactful.

Professor Anicia Peters is the CEO of the National Commission on Research, Science, and Technology (NCRST) in Namibia. She elaborated on the need for flexibility in funding research aligned with shifting national priorities. These must be focused on food security, energy and rare earth mineral beneficiation. She emphasised three key areas to bear in mind, including the importance of broad funding topics, collaboration across African councils and capacity building.

To this end, she said Namibia is part of a newly launched African Innovation Agencies network. The gathering worked to foster innovation, startup incubation and capacity building across the continent.

NCRST supports research in healthcare AI, food systems, waste management, biomass and green technologies, leveraging SGCI initiatives.

Namibia has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with Zambia and Zimbabwe for joint research funding and projects.

Intra-African collaboration is crucial for strengthening research ecosystems. This could help reduce the reliance on North-South partnerships.

Peters said small seed grants could attract further funding. It could also expand partnerships. However, governments must commit financial contributions to ensure equal partnerships in global research collaborations.

Funding research enhances national confidence and attracts global funders. The Professor said Namibia has gained visibility at the United Nations, African Union and international forums and has positioned itself as a key player in science, technology, and innovation.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Riley Drake

An onslaught of executive orders from President Donald Trump aim to restrict how and what educators can teach America’s children.

Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has attempted to bar teachers from discussing racism and sexism in K-12 schools and order all schools that receive federal funding to recognize only two gender identities – male and female – potentially barring teachers from acknowledging the existence of nonbinary, gender queer and transgender people, including among their students.

Educators say the orders are having a chilling effect in classrooms, with some teachers censoring themselves by minimizing dialogue about race, gender and other topics. Other educators, however, are finding ways to resist what they see as federal intrusion into the classroom.

In March 2025, Sarah Inama, a sixth grade history teacher in Meridian, Idaho, refused to remove a classroom poster reading “Everyone is Welcome” when school district officials claimed the message was too controversial.

“There are only two opinions on this sign. Everyone is welcome here or not everyone is welcome here,” Inama said in a March 2025 interview with Today.com.

I am a scholar and former elementary school counselor. My research explores how educators act alongside young people and community organizers to challenge laws, policies and ways of controlling society that they see as harmful in schools.

In my studies, I’ve encountered some educators who have found clever ways to support their students and have difficult conversations without violating executive orders or the law.

Modeling transformative justice

The Trump administration’s restrictive federal orders for schools are new, but some U.S. states have been limiting what educators can tell their students for several years. And educators in those places have found quiet, creative ways to push back.

In 2022 I led a study of how educators in one Midwestern state were teaching social emotional manage learning – that is, the attitudes, skills and knowledge to develop healthy relationships and their emotions.

The state – research ethics prohibit me from precisely identifying it – had recently passed legislation that prevented teachers from openly discussing the harms of racism, slavery, colonialism and gender violence in the U.S. Critics felt the law not only erased Black and Indigenous history but also banned truth-telling and accountability.

One second grade teacher I observed in my study felt it was essential that her students learn to tell the truth, even in uncomfortable situations, and take accountability for their actions. She partnered with local community organizers to practice transformative justice in her classroom.

Transformative justice seeks to address the root causes of people’s harmful behavior rather than merely punishing it. When communities can get to the core of the conditions that caused the harm, this theory holds, they can better address it.

Rather than craft a lesson plan that might run up against the state’s restrictive new laws, the teacher in my study demonstrated the values of truth-telling and accountability in her approach to everyday conflicts.

For example, one day after afternoon recess, two students refused to come back inside. The teacher waited patiently, and when eventually they returned to the classroom, she asked them what had been bothering them. The students said they were mad their classmates hadn’t allowed them to play a specific character in a game at recess.

The teacher invited the rest of the class to discuss the incident. They acknowledged that those students had been excluded. Together, the class brainstormed ways to better include everyone next time. The upset students calmed down and listened actively, then began chiming in with their own ideas about solving the problem constructively.

Finally, the teacher asked the class to reflect on how she had handled the situation.

“What would have happened if I had called the principal on the students who wouldn’t come inside?” she asked.

“They would have gotten in trouble!” the students said.

“Yes, and would that have solved anything?” the teacher responded.

“No, it would have made things worse,” one student remarked.

In her actions and words, this teacher taught her students that punishment isn’t the only or best way to deal with conflict. And she showed them that when people tell the truth and take responsibility for their actions, they have an opportunity to build connections and repair relationships.

In doing so, my research finds this teacher challenged her state’s policy of silencing certain conversations. Other educators in this study found other ways to challenge the law, including one who invited community organizers into her classroom to support immigrant students in learning about their rights.

Solidarity with LGBTQ students

I led another study in 2023 and 2024 following legislation in Iowa and other states banning books and restricting classroom discussion about gender identity and sexual orientation. In it, I documented how one middle school counselor supported student activists who’d been retaliated against after leading a school walkout protesting the state’s anti-LGBTQ bill.

The student activists had been taunted by their peers during the walkout. Some had Pride flags torn from their hands and stomped on. Money the students had been collecting to donate to an LGBTQ organization was stolen.

“I wish we didn’t have to be quiet to be safe,” one of the students told the counselor when debriefing after the incident.

The counselor arranged a meeting with the school principal to share how their peers had hurt them and how disconnected it made them feel from their school. When administrators did only minimal follow-up afterward, the counselor partnered with a community arts organization outside school to create LGBTQ-affirming spaces for students to make art together.

In my assessment, her actions demonstrated that people can come together to care for one another and showed that LGBTQ young people matter. First as an educator and then as a community member, she delivered a meaningful message to the students through showing rather than telling.

Resistance in the classroom

These are just a few examples of the many creative ways I’ve documented that educators from Iowa, Michigan, Indiana and Florida and other states are trying to offset the impacts of recent restrictions on what teachers can say and what topics curricula can address.

Educators in the U.S. have long found ways to resist laws they feel are unjust.

In the 1940s, a Black teacher named Madeline Morgan fought alongside hundreds of other Black women teachers and parents for Chicago Public Schools to include Black history in its curriculum. The curriculum she created later became a model for districts across the U.S. to teach Black history.

Septima Clark is another Black educator who fought racism through teaching. After she was fired from her teaching position in South Carolina due to her connections with the NAACP, she dedicated her life to teaching, organizing and training civil rights activists in defiance of laws that attempted to keep her out of the classroom.

Collaborating with others, today’s educators are finding creative ways to ensure that their classrooms demonstrate justice, in actions if not in words.

Riley Drake is Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Stout

The Conversation

Jabu Mtwa knows first-hand how important sport is for young people in South Africa. As a member of the 2023–2026 cohort of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Young Leaders Programme, he’s fighting youth unemployment by equipping his peers to thrive in Africa’s growing sports industry.

His initiative, the Ithuba Lethu Sports Hub, is part of a collective effort supported and promoted by the IOC to make a better world through sport, reflecting the spirit of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), celebrated every year on 6 April.

When Mtwa, a lifelong sports fan, co-founded a community football club in Johannesburg, South Africa, aged just 20, he not only witnessed how important sport was to so many young people, but also came face-to-face with the struggles they confronted in finding a job.

“A lot of the players would come to training every day, because they had nothing else to do, and were struggling with finances,” says Mtwa. “I took it upon myself to do more research and see how the African sports industry can act as a vehicle for job creation and youth employment.”

It led Mtwa to not only build a career as a sports business podcast host and expert in sport for development, but also launch his IOC Young Leaders project, the Ithuba Lethu Sports Hub, a sports-based non-profit organisation, by leveraging the immense potential of the continent’s sports sector.

Through a series of educational programmes, mentorship initiatives and career development opportunities for school-age children and young adults, the Hub aims to increase awareness of the opportunities the sports industry provides and offer career development opportunities.

The Hub was officially launched in March 2025, and more than 60 young people attended two workshops, one on careers in sport and the other on personal branding.

The meeting of sport and opportunity

“Youth unemployment rates are sky high in Africa, despite the fact that it is the fastest growing and youngest continent in the world, and the population is set to double by 2050,” explains Mtwa.

Coupled with a sports industry that is also set to expand rapidly over the coming years, he sees an opportunity for sport to play a significant role in tackling the continent’s youth unemployment crisis. “Playing and watching sport helps young people with the challenges that they face from joblessness, but there are also huge career opportunities in the non-playing side that many young people are not exposed to,” says Mtwa.

“Our vision is to empower Africa’s next generation, harnessing the continent’s booming sports sector as a catalyst for employment and career growth,” explains Mtwa. “We focus on equipping young people with the skills, knowledge and connections to thrive in the evolving sports industry and beyond.”

Securing a future for young people

Mtwa believes that sport is uniquely placed to address the challenges born out of the unemployment crisis facing young people in Africa.

“Youth unemployment fuels crime, weakens social structures and slows economic development in general, but sport is an incredible language to get people together. A common love of sport is something we can leverage, an equaliser for young people in undeveloped communities. It’s not only an activity, but a platform from which you can teach life skills.”

Through career programmes, the Ithuba Lethu Sports Hub aims to leverage this potential. “We believe sport is a perfect vehicle for economic participation and youth empowerment. I think addressing this crisis is not just about job creation; it’s about securing Africa’s future,” says Mtwa.

Sport has played an especially significant role in the South African context. “It’s more than just a game. It’s a unifier, an economic driver and most importantly a driver for social change,” says Mtwa. “Historically, it has played a powerful role in fostering national unity: take the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the men’s 4x100m relay silver medal at Paris 2024.”

Turning an idea into reality with the support of the IOC Young Leaders Programme

Mtwa credits the IOC Young Leaders Programme with giving him the tools to make his idea a reality. “The mentorship, the training and the funding have provided invaluable support in bringing the Hub to life. It has given me the opportunity to gain global exposure to innovative sports for development models, while benefiting from expert-led sessions,” he says.

Mtwa has already partnered with the Nova Pioneer Education Group to help deliver the Hub’s workshops, and plans to expand the programme though further collaboration with sports education organisations: “The IOC Young Leaders Programme has enabled me to form lifelong relationships with people who share a commitment to leveraging sport for positive change. It’s connected me with a network of like-minded change makers and peers who are driving impact through sport.”

IOC Young Leaders Programme contributing to Olympism365 days a year

Launched in 2016, the IOC Young Leaders Programme empowers young people to leverage the power of sport to make a positive difference in their communities. The programme contributes to Olympism365, the IOC’s strategy to use sport as an important enabler of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Olympism365: Scaling up sport’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

In his capacity as an IOC Young Leader, Mtwa will attend the Olympism365 Summit: Sport for a Better World, which will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, from 3 to 5 June. In addition to IOC Young Leaders, the event will bring together representatives from the Olympic Movement, United Nations agencies, development and financing institutions, civil society, for-purpose business and safe sport community members who are working together to advance the UN SDGs through sport.

Mtwa feels the Summit will offer an invaluable chance for knowledge-sharing and collaboration in an uncertain era. “Sport for development is not immune to global trends: rapid advancements in AI, shifting geopolitical landscapes and economic uncertainty across the world,” he says. “That makes it even more critical to explore sustainable models for sport’s role in development. The Summit can serve as a catalyst for much needed cooperation between sectors.”

This article was first published by the International Olympic Committee.