STAFF REPORTER

THE disastrous flood that hit Durban in April 2022 was the most catastrophic natural disaster yet recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in collective terms of lives lost, homes and infrastructure damaged or destroyed and economic impact.

This is according to a new study by researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the University of Brighton, UK, published in the South African Geographical Journal.

Professor Stefan Grab from Wits University and his colleague, Professor David Nash constructed a geographical history of flooding disasters in KZN by sifting through thousands of archived articles held in old newspapers, colonial and government records, early missionary records, and meteorological records which became available from the 1850s onwards.

They define extreme flooding events, where major rivers were overflowing their banks, together with one or more
significant consequences, such as the loss of human life, livestock, agricultural fields and crops, and infrastructure such as buildings, roads and bridges.

The study, which reconstructed the history of floods in KZN since the 1840s, confirmed a widely-held – yet anecdotal view – that the April 2022 floods were likely the most catastrophic natural disaster yet recorded in KZN and that flooding events have doubled over the last century or more.

“Right after the floods, many commentators like the media, some scientists and others were quick to report that the floods were the most severe ever recorded. Our aim was to place the floods into perspective and see if this and other statements related to the disaster were factually correct by building a historic geographic account of past floods and associated extreme rainfall events for the province of KZN and particularly the greater Durban region,” says Grab, lead author of the study.

“When you look at a natural disaster you need to look at it in context. Whether the April 2022 floods were the ‘worst in living memory’ is debatable, as a flooding event in September 1987 affected a larger geographic area of KZN and destroyed more homes than the 2022 event,” says Grab.

Similarly, a catastrophic flooding event in Durban, 1856 – also in April – produced a greater quantity of rainfall
over a three-day period than last year’s floods.

In April 2022, the KZN coastal zone, including the greater Durban area and South Coast, received more than 300mm of rain in 24 hours. This led to calamitous flooding, with 459 people losing their lives and 88 people still missing by the end of May 2022. Over 4000 homes were destroyed, 40 000 people left homeless, and 45 000 people were temporarily left unemployed.

The cost of infrastructure and business losses amounted to an estimated US$2 billion.

In April 1856, 303mm of rain fell in Durban over 24 hours, and a record of 691mm over a three-day period from April 14 to 16.

INSIDE EDUCATION

STAFF REPORTER

HONORIS United Universities and Regent Business School are proud to announce that one of their students, Boitumelo Nkatlo, has returned from a trip to Harvard Business School which he won following the entrepreneurship skills he demonstrated in his ground-breaking project, BNAqua Solutions.

He joined global leaders in entrepreneurship as they gathered at the prestigious Harvard Business School’s Africa Business Conference, held in Boston, USA, from 24 to 25 March 2023.

Regent Business School is a proud member of the Honoris United Universities network, the first pan-African private higher education network committed to preparing and educating the next generation of African leaders and professionals to make a regional impact in a globalised world.

As the Platinum Sponsor of this conference, Honoris United Universities believes in the power of entrepreneurship and innovation for the prosperity of the African continent and its communities.

This belief is manifested through various partnerships with international organizations and institutions that work towards uplifting and encouraging young entrepreneurs in Africa.

Boitumelo Nkatlo’s winning invention, BNAqua Solutions, is a testament to this belief. It is an inventive solution that addresses the water scarcity issues faced by communities in South Africa. His invention, which is fully recognised and licensed in his name, treats acid mine drainage water and transforms it into safe drinking water, using waste metallic materials.

As the winner of this prestigious competition, Boitumelo Nkatlo attended the Harvard Business School’s Africa Business Conference from 24 to 25 March 2023 in Boston, USA, where he was afforded access to a host of activities specifically for students including a campus tour, introductions to the Harvard faculty, an MBA open house, and a networking lunch.

His excitement and gratitude for this once in a lifetime opportunity were evident, “I am truly grateful to Honoris United Universities and Regent Business School for enabling me to attend the Harvard Business School’s Africa Business Conference in Boston, USA., where I made valuable contacts within the African continent. Some noteworthy interactions were with the chairman of OCP Group, a fertilizing manufacturer based in Morocco, Mostafa Terrab; a Ghanaian entrepreneur, Fred Swaniker and the chairman of Standard Bank South Africa, Nonkululeko Nyembezi. The break-out sessions which I attended covered some incredibly relevant topics, and I particularly enjoyed the sessions
focusing on Africa’s creative economy and financial inclusion. A highlight was a private meeting with
Prof. Anywhere Siko who is a Berol Corporation Fellow and assistant professor in the Accounting and
Management unit at Harvard. This trip could lead to other life-changing opportunities.”

Dr. Ahmed Shaikh, Managing Director of Regent Business School, added, “As an institution that places a high value on innovation and entrepreneurship, we are proud to have played a role in Boitumelo’s success. His dedication to finding sustainable and affordable solutions to address the issue of clean water access is inspiring, and we are confident that he will continue to make a significant impact in the future.”

This recognition is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and innovation of Boitumelo Nkatlo and the Regent Business School. It also highlights the commitment of Honoris United Universities to empower and encourage young entrepreneurs in Africa.

Honoris United Universities and Regent Business School wish Boitumelo Nkatlo well with his future endeavours and remain committed to continued support for the next generation of African entrepreneurs.

INSIDE EDUCATION

BENTA A. ABUYA

Senegal has a young population, with about half of its 18 million people aged below 19. This indicates a potentially high demand for education. Of those aged six to 11, however, 41% are out of school. In the age group 12 to 18, 43% aren’t in school. Statistics show, too, that the enrolment numbers of girls decrease as they advance in grades. To understand these dynamics, the African Population and Health Research Center carried out a two-year study on girls’ education and wellbeing in Senegal. The Conversation Africa asked Benta A. Abuya, a lead researcher on the study, to unpack the findings.

You found that only a third of girls enrol in a secondary school. Why is this?

The reasons begin in primary school. In Senegal, the official primary school entrance age is six. Primary school lasts six years, lower secondary lasts four years and upper secondary lasts three years.

Our findings were that in the last grade of primary school, the dropout rate was 26.7% for girls and 22.2% for boys.

We found that financial hardship in households is one of the obstacles to girls and boys completing school. About 39% of Senegalese live below the poverty line.

Despite the existence of government programmes – like free public school education until age 16 and the Girls’ Education Support Project, which provides school uniforms – the cost of schooling is still an obstacle for many families. They have to pay for learning materials and transport to school.

We also found a preference to educate boys over girls. In households with limited finances, boys are more likely to be sent to school even if girls would like to go.

Additionally, girls who are delinquent, lack interest in school or engage in unsafe sexual activities tend to be judged harshly by communities. They are viewed as bringing shame to their families. They are, therefore, withdrawn from school and married off early in an attempt to address this behaviour.

Deep-seated cultural beliefs and practices – such as female genital mutilation, forced child marriages and early pregnancies – also prevent some girls from making progress in school. They, therefore, lag in education and wellbeing.

The legal age of marriage in Senegal is 16 for girls and 18 for boys. But families decide when girls get married. For example, in the Kolda region in the south, 68% of girls get married before they turn 18. This is more than double the national average of 31%.

In a scoping review we did in 2019, we found that out of 1,321 adolescent girls, 78% got pregnant between ages 12 and 18. Of these pregnancies, 25.6% occurred before the girls turned 15. And in an exploratory study we did in 2021, teenage pregnancy was predominantly cited in Zinguinchor and Sedhiou regions in south-west Senegal, as leading to girls dropping out of school.

Some girls marry early because their families believe it makes them less likely to fall pregnant in a transactional sexual relationship. Others marry early if they see it as the only opportunity to make a life after dropping out of school.

Why is this a problem?

When girls don’t get into secondary school, they and their communities miss out on the social, economic and health benefits that accrue from education.

When more girls get to secondary school, this spurs communities to build more secondary institutions. This in turn spurs higher primary school enrolment. It also increases the chances of girls being near the schools they need to attend, which motivates parents to be more committed to supporting their schooling.

When girls get a secondary school education, the whole society benefits. Critical thinking skills enable girls to participate in civic duties and drive democratic change in their communities. Educated women are better placed to address some of the health challenges facing their children and their communities, as they are often primary caregivers.

Educated mothers increase the immunisation and nutrition intake of their children, reduce the likelihood of child mortality and stunting, have lower fertility rates, and have fewer unwanted pregnancies.

Lastly, going to secondary school reduces the likelihood that girls will contract sexually transmitted diseases, as they are able to access information to change their health behaviour when they are most vulnerable.

How can parents help turn the tide?

Parents can help increase the number of girls getting into secondary school if they:

give equal chances to girls and boys to attend school

refrain from marrying girls off early

stop using the excuse that girls are bound to “end up in the kitchen”

register all their children, including girls, at birth so that they have birth certificates.

We found that a failure to follow up on the issuance of birth certificates for girls hinders their education beyond primary school, as they are unable to sit for final exams.

The government and education stakeholders need to encourage parents to get more involved in programmes to keep girls in schools. For instance, parents are needed to drive the fight against early marriage and female genital mutilation.

The government should also ensure that the Coordinating Framework of Interventions on Girls’ Education in Senegal works with communities.

Men and boys should be involved in intervention programmes. This has the potential to shift power dynamics by challenging gender norms and patriarchal beliefs that men and women aren’t equal.

In the regions where cultural and religious factors hinder girls’ education, parents should be at the forefront of addressing these barriers. They can do this by speaking up against early marriage and keeping girls in schools.

Benta A. Abuya, Research Scientist, African Population and Health Research Center.

THE CONVERSATION

PHUTI MOSOMANE

THE KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC, Mbali Frazer, has acknowledged that glitches in the food delivery system to some schools resulted in thousands of pupils starting the first day back at school with empty stomachs.

Fraser expressed regret over the situation and was shocked to discover logistical challenges on the part of the main service provider.

Upon receiving the report on Wednesday, Frazer instructed the top management of the Department to promptly engage with the affected districts and stakeholders to identify the root causes of the challenges and determine their extent.

“This unfortunate situation currently faced by schools, communities and service providers is deeply regretted. The Department and the affected service provider have been working around the clock to resolve these challenges,” she said. 

There are 5,400 schools which are beneficiaries of the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) in the province.

INSIDE EDUCATION 

PHUTI MOSOMANE

FIVE men have appeared in the Alice Magistrates Court on Tuesday for a number of charges, including murder and attempted murder of employees at the University of Fort Hare.

Three of the five suspects involved in the University of Fort Hare shootings had links with the institution. 

Police said one worked with the fleet manager, the other is a former Student Representative Council (SRC) member, and another was brought back to work at the university after retiring.

One of the suspects allegedly ordered a hit on the University of Fort Hare’s fleet manager Petrus Roets last year. 

Two of the accused are from KwaZulu-Natal. 

Police top brass led by Minister Bheki Cele and National police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola visited Alice in the Eastern Cape following a breakthrough in the police investigations into cases of murder and attempted murder at the Fort Hare university. 

The five men facing murder and attempted murder charges will remain in custody until the 4th of May for a formal bail application. 

Fort Hare vice-chancellor Prof Buhlungu said he was pleased that President Cyril Ramaphosa prioritised the cases as he promised.

“I am pleased that today we are seeing breakthrough in this case. I think the President for sending police top brass as he promised. We will not rest until those who aided and abet corruption are brought to book,” he said on Tuesday. 

On the 6th January, Buhlungu’s protector Mboneli Vesele was gunned down outside his official residence. 

Since then, a high level national police task force and intervention teams were deployed to find his killers and also resolve the remaining murder cases linked to corruption in the varsity.

The team reported directly to the national police commissioner.

INSIDE EDUCATION 

CHINEDU OKAFOR

THE National Bank of Angola’s Governor, José de Lima Massano, met with the executive directors and discussed the country’s achievements in changing financial regulatory systems and processes as well as stabilizing the exchange rate. The visit took place between March 6 and 10.

The Chamber of Commerce, BFA (Bank of Fomento Angola), Standard Bank, Industrial Association of Angola, the association of agro-livestock producers, Angola Development Bank, and the Association of the Bank in Angola hosted a meeting where the directors also met private sector players in the agricultural sector.

They met with the team from the bank’s local office and listened to presentations on the macroeconomic and fiscal situation of the nation as well as the activities of the Bank there.

The delegation was led by Gerard Bussier, the executive director for Mauritius, who discussed the significance of the Bank’s support for the field of science and technology education.

The directors observed the effects of the transformational education project firsthand while on a visit to CAZENGA Secondary School number 3114 in Luanda.

Over 800 students have received scholarships as a result of the project, including 610 scholarships for girls studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Additionally, the project has funded state-of-the-art biology, physics, and chemistry laboratories for the school.

The directors’ attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony for the planned Science and Technology Park of Luanda, which the Bank will finance as part of the Science and Technology Development Project, was another highlight of their trip.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESCTI) is in charge of carrying out the Project for the Development of Science and Technology (PDCT).

The ceremony, which highlighted the stages of construction and its effects on Angolan society, was presided over by Maria do Rosário Bragança, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation of Angola.

The park’s construction is anticipated to take 30 months.

Business Insider: Africa

BERYL EXLEY

THERE has been a constant stream of reviews into teacher education in Australia. The most recent was finalised in February 2022. Led by former federal education department secretary Lisa Paul, the review recommended an “ambitious reform agenda” to attract “high quality” students and ensure teacher education was “evidence-based and practical”.

The Paul review recommended “strengthening the link” between performance and funding of teaching degrees.

The expert panel was, in part, borne out of the Paul review as well as national concerns about teacher shortages. A key issue raised at a federal government roundtable on teacher shortages in August 2022 was the need to “ensure graduating teachers are better prepared for the classroom”.

What does the 2023 discussion paper say?

The discussion paper seeks advice on four key areas:

how to strengthen undergraduate and postgraduate “initial teacher education” programs to deliver “confident, effective, classroom-ready graduates”

linking the funding of graduate outcomes with the funding for higher education providers

improving professional experience placements in teaching degrees

helping more mid-career entrants into postgraduate teaching degrees.

Each section of the discussion paper is relatively comprehensive, with useful case studies and a set of discussion questions.

However, the four areas are considered in isolation from one another and without due regard for how they interrelate. Also missing from the review is an appreciation of how initial teacher education degrees are one part of a teacher’s professional learning journey.

All the elements of reform are placed at risk when the sum of the parts don’t equal a whole.

We need a reality check

There is significant ongoing concern about teacher shortages and the number of graduates from teaching degrees. As Scott said on Thursday, “teaching is a tough job and it is increasingly demanding”. Education Minister Jason Clare has also highlighted the need to “increase [course] completion rates and deliver more classroom-ready graduates”.

At the same time, the Paul review found graduate teachers felt underprepared to teach reading, support diverse learners, manage challenging behaviour, work in regional settings, and engage with parents/carers. It’s important to remember these are all exceedingly complex aspects of classroom teaching – even for seasoned teachers and accomplished school leaders.

We need to have realistic expectations about what initial study can provide to graduate teachers. It can teach fundamental theories and provide professional experience, but teachers will need to keep adapting their skills and expanding their knowledge once they are in the classroom.

What works in one context with one set of participants may be less effective in another context because of another set of underlying factors.

This is why tailored induction programs and ongoing mentorship every time an early career teacher starts at a new school is crucial.

Unfortunately, workplace induction programs are usually only offered to teachers in full-time permanent jobs, and rarely to the army of graduate teachers who change schools on a regular basis because they are working as temporary or contract staff.

Entry requirements should not shut out aspiring teachers

The discussion paper focuses on increasing the numbers of First Nations students, as well as those from regional and remote communities, and low socio-economic backgrounds who become teachers – and rightly so. These groups of people are underrepresented in teaching degrees and each hold great potential to make significant contributions to the profession and to the lives of children and the community.

We need to be realistic about the number of prerequisites for education degrees.

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership develops accreditation standards for teacher education programs. State-based regulators, such as the Queensland College of Teachers, can also add their own requirements.

Meeting all these components add extra burdens to aspiring teachers, and there is no evidence to suggest additional entry requirements directly impact graduate teaching quality. For example, in Queensland, aspiring teachers must have successfully completed Year 12 English, mathematics and science before they can start a primary teacher education degree.

This is an issue given the primary teacher workforce is predominantly female, yet boys outnumber girls in Year 12 physics and advanced maths. This means many aspiring teachers need to do an extra science course before they start their primary teacher education degree.

What about linking funding to performance?

The discussion paper canvasses linking government funding for teaching degrees to a set of performance measures such as higher education providers’ capacity to attract high quality candidates from a range of backgrounds, retain those students until graduation, student satisfaction and their employment outcomes.

It suggests publicly reporting data about these measures and providing financial incentives.

We need to be very careful about any changes here and any unintended consequences such as disincentivising higher education providers from offering teacher education degrees.

Given there is a worldwide shortage of teachers, now is not the time to suggest a punitive response to matters of quality in initial teacher education, or to provide a multi-tier funding structure. Rather, we need more understanding of the funding and resources required to support preservice teachers to be the best they can be before they enter the classroom.

(Beryl Exley, Professor, Griffith Institute for Educational Research, Griffith University, Griffith University)

THE CONVERSATION

PHUTI MOSOMANE

EQUAL Education (EE) learner members will march to the Limpopo Department of Education (LDoE) offices in Polokwane today (Tuesday) to demand urgent sanitation relief for all “priority one” schools.

Priority one schools are schools with “illegal plain pit toilets as their only form of sanitation”. 

Plain pit toilets were banned from schools with the introduction of the Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure (the school infrastructure law) in 2013, and had to be removed and replaced by 2016″.

It has been 10 years since the introduction of the school infrastructure law, and all of the sanitation delivery deadlines (2016 and 2020) have been missed, the organisers said. 

Based on plans the LDoE submitted to the court in 2021 priority one schools should have received sanitation upgrades by March 2023. 

“This deadline has also been missed. It is urgent that the LDoE provide these schools with adequate, proper, and safe toilet facilities to meet the necessary hygiene and safety standards for a conducive learning environment,” Equal Education said. 

“As long as these illegal pit toilets exist in schools, children’s rights will continue to be violated. We cannot and will not sit back while the LDoE continuously fails to meet the deadlines for school sanitation upgrades,” it added.

Equal Education organiser Tiny Lebelo told Inside Education that the government has a constitutional obligation to provide schools that are safe and ensure that they are conducive for learning.
 
“The importance of this march is that there is a constant neglect especially from provinces where they are largely rural.”

“We cannot have a school that was built in the 70’s by the community still standing now without proper sanitation upgrades nor infrastructural upgrades. We cannot go another day with another primary school having pit latrines as their form of sanitation without government intervention,” she said, adding that it seems the government has “no political will to eradicate pit latrines in schools but we cannot constantly wait for the private sector to be the saviour.”
 
She said the march will be used as an important reminder to the department of education of its constitutional obligation.

“Meeting the department outside their offices on the streets where the problems are, and not in their boardrooms or in press briefings is an important highlight of Tuesday’s march. We are meeting at the frontlines where the real struggle for the restoration of the dignity of the black child is,” she added. 

EE members in Limpopo will be marching to the LDoE offices in Polokwane to demand: 

 Urgent sanitation relief for priority one schools such as Tutwana Primary School and Seipone Secondary School Immediate provision of mobile toilets to these schools as a short-term interim intervention based on their implementation plan, while the department works swiftly in providing permanent proper toilets, and,

 Urgent sanitation relief for priority one schools such as Tutwana Primary School and Seipone
Secondary School.

The march takes place on Tuesday, 11 April 2023 at 9 am.

INSIDE EDUCATION

EDWIN NAIDU

THE right-hand man of former University of Johannesburg (UJ) vice-chancellor, Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, has quit for an overseas posting in one of New Zealand’s prestigious institutions.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the University of Johannesburg Professor Saurab Sinha will join the 150-year-old University of Canterbury on 1 July.

Marwala, his former boss, joined the United Nations University in Tokyo on 1 March.

Respected academic and author Sinha said in a post on social media that it was an immense privilege serving the UJ over the last decade. Sinha, supported by the U.S. Fulbright program is currently undertaking a research sabbatical at Princeton University.

The University of Canterbury is led since 2019 by Professor Cheryl de la Rey, who was the first – and only – woman vice-chancellor of the University of Pretoria in a century between 2009 and 2018.

Sinha contested the vice-chancellor post at UJ against Professor Letlhokwa George Mpedi, the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic, UJ, who succeeded Marwala on 1 March.

He becomes the second top executive to leave UJ. Professor Debra Meyer, Executive Dean: Faculty of Science, who also stood against Mpedi, left on 31 March to join the Sol Plaatje University as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning.

“Since joining UJ, she has played a vital role in driving the faculty’s strategy to support the University’s objectives. Prof Meyer, we wish you only the very best in your new role and future endeavours,” said Mpedi in a message to staff.

Sinha said: “With the UJ Community and partners, locally and abroad, UJ has continued to grow from strength to strength; the symbiosis of culture, people and strategy is setup for continued research, innovation and internationalisation excellence.”

Sinha, whose latest book, on 6G technology, has just been published, will remain a Visiting Professor at UJ.

Currently in Princeton on a fellowship, Sinha, said: “I’m looking forward to the next journey of learning, change, and contribution. Reporting to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Canterbury (UC), New Zealand, I’ll provide leadership to UC Engineering (Engineering, Forestry, Mathematics and Statistics, Product Design). I look forward to being part of the senior leadership team, UC and Christchurch/Canterbury Community.”

In 2023, UC celebrates 150 years – a significant milestone – furthering engagement with people for
education, research and impact.

With my departure, there is an exciting opportunity for the next leader – to serve as UJ’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation,” he said.

Candidates can Apply: http://jobs.uj.ac.za

The University of the Western Cape is also looking for a new vice-chancellor following the announcement by incumbent Professor Tyrone Pretorius, who also worked under Prof De la Rey when she was at the University of Pretoria, announced he was leaving.

Professor Pretorius is an alumnus of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and was appointed as the seventh Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the institution in 2015. Researcher Professor José Frantz is currently acting vice-chancellor.

INSIDE EDUCATION