KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube condemned violence in schools and urged learners to solve problems peacefully to show that they value life.

Dube-Ncube visited Mandlenkosi Secondary School in Ntuzuma where a Grade 10 learner was stabbed to death by a fellow pupil at the school premises.  

She expressed shock and outrage at the killing of a Grade 12 learner, who was allegedly stabbed to death by a Grade 10 learner at Mandlenkosi Secondary School in Ntuzuma, north of Durban. 

[WATCH] KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube visited Mandlenkosi High School in Ntuzuma this morning , where a learner stabbed a Grade 10 learner to death and this has negatively impacted both learners and teachers. pic.twitter.com/TGhf9Db8L0

— KZN Provincial Gov (@kzngov) November 10, 2022

Dube-Ncube visited the school on Thursday, as part of her matric exams monitoring programme.

The Premier said it is concerning that schools which are centres of knowledge and learning, have now been degenerated into “dens of crime”.

“We came to the school to give support and prayer to the teachers and learners who are writing their examinations, following a very unfortunate and sad incident where a learner lost his life at school. We are really saddened by the incident that happened at a time when learners are supposed to be focusing on their exams, especially the matric class of 2022.

“The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government sends its condolences to the parents of the deceased learner, teachers and fellow learners, who witnessed this tragic incident on the school premises,” Dube-Ncube said.

Psychosocial support is being offered to learners and teachers at the school.

The government will ensure that affected learners and teachers receive counselling. 

“We will also be reaching out to the rest of the community so that we preach to our children to value life.

“Violence is not the solution because any disagreements can be resolved through dialogue. We are approaching the police to ensure that there is visibility during exams and additional police will be deployed to KwaZulu-Natal during the festive season and beyond,” Dube-Ncube said. 

She said a serious dialogue is needed because the happenings are a direct reflection of what is taking place at community level. 

– Inside Education

University of  Stellenbosch Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Social Impact, Transformation & Personnel Professor Nico Koopman said the institution will ensure that the work performance of staff members get measured on transformation and confidence building efforts. 

Yesterday, the University said it is studying the findings and recommendations of the Independent Khampepe Commission of Investigation into allegations of racism. 

Khampepe report showed how black and coloured students feel alienated and unwelcomed at the university. 

Koopman said the institution will work on a culture of inclusivity and ensuring co-ownership of the university.  He urged students and staff members to work together and participate in the transformation of the university. 

“This is a top priority. The Council has decided that 25% of the Key Performance Areas (KPAs) of all staff will focus on transformation. A commitment that can be measured,” he said. 

The university has urged all staff and students to participate in the process saying transformation confidence building commitment is something that can be assessed regularly with progress reports produced.

He said overcoming discriminations at the university will be addressed consistently and on a continuous basis.  

This week rector and vice-chancellor Wim de Villiers received the commission’s report.

A probe was launched following incidents of alleged racism at the institution.

Theuns du Toit was expelled from the university in July after a video of him urinating on fellow black student Babalo Ndwayana’s study material went viral in May this year. 

Following weeks of anti-racism protests in June, the University established an independent probe chaired by retired Constitutional Court justice Sisi Khampepe.

“There is also a general complaint from the students that most social traditions in the residences cater only to White, Afrikaans cultural preferences. Some of the witnesses mentioned that they have attempted to address this concern by working with the student leaders to introduce more cultural diversity into residence events.

“Unsurprisingly, language was also raised as a common complaint that the witnesses hear from students. The use of Afrikaans is a minefield in these residences, because many of them were established as “Afrikaans spaces” with “Afrikaans traditions.” This appeals to Afrikaans-speaking students, who then often feel entitled to treat Afrikaans as the common language in the residence. This appears to upset Black students who do not speak Afrikaans, because they understand this to be an exclusionary and arrogant way of behaving,” Khampepe said. 

Meanwhile the DA said it will immediately take Stellenbosch University’s Khampepe report on legal review.

“The report outrageously scapegoats the Afrikaans language for any and all problems at the university. Equating Afrikaans with racism is an insult to an entire community,” it said.

-Inside Education

Power utility Eskom said on Wednesday it has received an overwhelming response over the past few months to its call for highly skilled power generation personnel to come forward to assist in the operational recovery and rebuilding of skills inside the organisation.

“Eskom is proud to announce the launch of its crowdsourcing digital platform. A future-fit invitation to electricity industry experts to support Eskom’s turnaround.

“A digital platform and governance mechanism have been designed and implemented to reap the full benefits of the diversity of skills across the country through the crowdsourcing of these skills into the business,” it said in a statement.

Crowdsourcing differs from recruitment in that it is triggered by specific technical challenges, is not linked to a permanent position, and it targets a talent pool that consists of highly skilled and experienced persons.

The crowdsourcing digital platform developed by Eskom, was launched on Wednesday and is accessible from any mobile device via the Eskom website. The platform aims to simplify the crowdsourcing process by enabling highly skilled and experienced persons to submit their details directly to the crowdsourcing database.

To date, the database includes 238 individuals, of which 153 have been shortlisted as potentially active, skilled, and willing candidates.

Eskom said approximately 25 individuals have been selected for the first phase of the crowdsourcing intake: These individuals will commence work between November and December 2022. Additional recruitment will take place as and when required by the business, to meet specific technical needs.

To the process and to ensure sustainability and to maximise the impact of these skills, each crowdsourced individual is required to transfer skills to the permanent Eskom team that they will work with.

Members of the public were encouraged to access the platform and submit details for consideration if the following criteria are met:

You are a highly skilled electricity generation expert or technical professional (e.g. engineer, power plant operator/controller, artisan, technician)You have more than 10 years of related experienceYou are able and willing to support EskomYou are willing to transfer your skills and expertise
Eskom looks forward to collaborating with South Africans to address the current electricity supply challenges facing the country.

Inside Education

Historians may have to review the history of the relationship between the Etruscan civilization and the Roman Empire, after Italy’s Culture Ministry on Tuesday announced the discovery of several dozen bronze statues believed to be over 2,000 years old in an ancient Tuscan thermal spring, reports rt.com.

Massimo Osanna, the ministry’s director of museums, hailed the discovery as one of the most significant ever in the Mediterranean region. He explained that the bronze figurines – which depict humans, gods, and individual body parts – were found perfectly preserved thanks to them being covered in mud. Alongside the statues, archeologists also reportedly found some 5,000 gold, silver, and bronze coins.

According to Jacopo Tabolli, who coordinated the dig for the University for Foreigners in Siena, the discovery sheds new light on the Etruscan civilization and the expansion of the Roman Empire between the 1st and 2nd centuries BC.

“While there were social and civil wars being fought outside the sanctuary … inside the sanctuary, the great elite Etruscan and Roman families prayed together in a context of peace surrounded by conflict,” Tabolli said, noting that the discovered statues bear both Etruscan and Latin inscriptions.

“This possibility to rewrite the relationship and dialectic between the Etruscans and Romans is an exceptional opportunity,” he proclaimed, as cited by the Associated Press.

Monument to Russian empress set for demolition

To showcase the significance of this discovery, Italy’s Culture Ministry has announced the construction of a new museum in the area to house the newly-found antiquities.

The Etruscan civilization was one of several civilizations inhabiting the Italian peninsula before the rise of the Roman Empire. It is believed to have been developed by the people of the Etruria region as early as 900 BC. The Etruscan states shared a common language and culture and covered the territory of what is now Tuscany, western Umbria, and northern Lazio.

The Etruscan civilization was later assimilated into the Roman Empire. Historians believe the process began in the late 4th century BC as wars broke out between the Romans and Etruscans. The Roman Empire fully incorporated all of the Etruscan territories in 27 BC.

RT

PHUTI MOSOMANE

SCHOOLS are not doing enough to monitor and report unroadworthy scholar transport vehicles to authorities, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said in an exclusive interview with Inside Education on Monday.

“In just one day, we took off the road through a special operation 61 unroadworthy learner transport vehicles including buses carrying pupils. This is just in one area in the Western corridor,” Chiloane.

“Schools must report unroadworthy vehicles transporting learners immediately. Do not wait for an incident. I asked a principal in one school to explain as to why given that at one point a vehicle got stuck, and kids got to school late because the transport was not roadworthy- and still no one reported the vehicle.”

Two weeks ago, a bus overturned, leaving two pupils dead in Wedela, Carletonville.

At least 63 other pupils were injured in the crash.

A Grade 8 boy and a Grade 10 girl from Wedela Technical High School lost their lives.

“We will have an engagement with all stakeholders. Apart from having policy, there has to be monitoring of compliance. We are having challenges because of lack of monitoring on compliance including on contracts,” Chiloane added.

He said there was a need to move away from allowing just anyone who has a car to transport learners without following any process.

“If you have a car, and learners- you are done. You are transporting kids to the school. We can’t work like that. This makes it difficult to ensure safety of the transport, and schools on the other hand need to know who is transporting learners.”

Chiloane said that in a short period of time, his department was able to replace unroadworthy vehicles on provincial roads.

He said more monitoring teams will be deployed across the province in a short period of time.

He said the department has since sent a communication to all schools for more proactiveness on the matter.

Visit www.insideeducation.co.za for more on the conversation with Gauteng MEC of Education regarding his vision and plans.

INSIDE EDUCATION

THE Department of Basic Education (DBE) wants to ensure that learners are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities that will be created during the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

The DBE believes this will be accomplished through the introduction of new school subjects. This is to improve the curriculum and prepare learners for the future world of work.

Ocean and marine engineering, aerospace engineering, coding and robotics and entrepreneurship are just a few subjects that the department will introduce which could widen the employment and study options learners have once they leave school.

While these plans are considered a step in the right direction, many stakeholders have questions whether the introduction of these subjects will be practical. These questions remain, as many schools in South Africa lack the resources and facilities needed to teach learners specialised subjects.

The DBE was questioned in this regard in Parliament. The Minister of Basic Education was asked what will be done to capacitate schools with the necessary human resources and infrastructure to enable them to offer the additional subjects to their learners.

The department undertook a consultation period, which allowed stakeholders to make recommendations to the DBE. These consultations revealed three areas which will need attention for the successful introduction of the new school subjects.

These areas are

The provision of human resourcesFunding of Technical Schools, Focus Schools And Schools Of Skills Review of Subject Combinations, and Content Review of Technical Mathematics and Sciences

The DBE acknowledged that development and provision of human resources is critical for the implementation of the new school subjects and the Three Stream Model. However, for proper human resource planning, the department will finalise core inputs which will be the basis for their plans.

These core inputs include determining the targeted number of learners per subject, curriculum structure and number of schools that will offer these subjects. The department will also finalise the norms for the provisioning of posts and finalise the qualifications and standards. 

STAFF REPORTER| Skillsportal

A study conducted by a professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Cape Town (UCT) shows alarming vaping trends among matriculants of affluent schools in South Africa, with the expert calling for the speedy implementation of vaping regulations.

The research, conducted by Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit at UCT, studied the vaping habits of over 5,500 high school students from several high-income schools.

High-income schools were selected taking into consideration that vaping products are expensive and, therefore, students at these schools would be more inclined to own such a device.

The study revealed very concerning numbers, finding that more than one in four matric learners are vaping.

Additionally, three out of 10 respondents said they use their electronic smoking device within an hour of waking, and nearly a quarter cannot get through a school day without vaping.

“These schools were chosen as a good starting point as they are the most likely to have high levels of vaping, but we didn’t expect it to be this high, and it’s very worrying,” said Van Zyl-Smit.

Van Zyl-Smit added that while the South African demographic health survey, released in 2016, showed that 2.5% of adolescents were vaping, this most recent study showed exceptionally higher figures than that.

“In some matric classes, we see as much as 30% of the total year group are vaping,” he said.

He also noted that the nicotine levels within the vaping liquids the students are inhaling are exceptionally high, and because of the pleasant flavours vapes offer, learners are exposing themselves to higher nicotine levels than what they would be if they were to smoke the odd cigarette.

Of the 5,500 students involved in the study, the majority said that they vape to deal with stress and anxiety, with very few participants pointing to social pressures as the reason for taking up the habit.

Van Zyl-Smit said that the study overall is very alarming and that schools need to pay more attention to vaping awareness and must clamp down harder on what seems to be an epidemic.

He also noted a significant concern around the habit is the discussion around the safety of vaping – especially when comparing them to traditional cigarettes.

He added that while there is evidence to argue both sides of the contentious debate, it’s one that shouldn’t even be considered in a high school environment, saying that the real discussion should be focused on nicotine and its effects on the adolescent brain.

“Whether vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes is not a debate that should be happening at school levels, and it’s irrelevant. The actual concern should be around exposure to nicotine. Adolescent brains have synaptic plasticity [that’s why teenagers learn new tasks much quicker than adults], and nicotine can interfere with that, hindering their learning development,” said Van Zyl-Smit.

Van Zyl-Smit called for the government to fast-track the implementation of regulations surrounding the vaping industry, as there are no guidelines or regulations for vaping production in South Africa.

The government has noted that vaping is a very grey area, and it has tabled a bill to regulate the sector.

Chief director for health promotion at the Department of Health, Dr Lynn Moeng-Mahlangu, said that the bill, when enacted, will be an ‘enabler’ for stricter smoking regulations in South Africa, with a particular focus on ‘new generation’ smokers.

She also flagged a growing concern over vaping among the youth. While she said the government wants to address this before the country ends up like many other countries where, in some cases, as many as 27% of young people are hooked on vaping, it may seem that we’re already at this point.

Van Zyl-Smit reiterated that any form of regulation is urgently needed and is appealing to the government to conduct up-to-date research on the vaping epidemic to help push through any relevant bill that will help address the issue.

BUSNESS TECH

UNSAFE infrastructure at schools is not only holding back the potential of tomorrows leaders, the crisis is a violation of learner’s right to dignity, equality, a safe environment and basic education.

According to a National Education Infrastructure Management System (NIEMS) report published in 2021, 69% of ordinary public school do not have basic libraries and close to 80% do not have laboratories. What is even more shocking, and dangerous, is that out of 23 276 ordinary schools, more than 12 000 still have unlawful pit toilets, more than 5 000 do not have a reliable water supply, and over 3 500 do not have reliable electricity. Our country is facing an infrastructure crisis, and those most vulnerable are on the front lines – some have even lost their lives due to collapse of buildings and unsafe sanitation.

With an average of 65 students per classroom, teachers are overwhelmed, overworked and schools can’t provide the most basic facilities. But there is help.

Founded in 2020, the FEST Foundation is a project-based non-profit company providing education-based solutions to public schools across South Africa’s impoverished communities. Their solutions will be able to create sustainable change to students and educators, and to alleviate the problems associated with poor educational infrastructure and limited support.

“27 years after the end of Apartheid, little has changed for impoverished communities in South Africa when it comes to education and infrastructure”, says FEST Founder Anwar-Yasser Rassool. “Having to attend schools with poor infrastructure is not only degrading to students, but also severely limits their chances of receiving the essential education needed to unlock their future potential. With the right funding, we can change the reality for thousands of children. Our sustainable model continues to grow impoverished schools long after we complete the project. We need to bring the future of education to our schools – and we need to start doing it today.”

The FEST Foundation is committed to creating better learning environments through its innovative approach to leveraging technology with innovation in ICT technology and sustainable building practices. Instead of operating per school, FEST operates within communities and works on both primary and secondary schools to ensure that students benefit from a technological advantage from start to finish.

“Our approach means that FEST can intervene at critical education points and provide strategies for these points that will assist teachers and students in technological training and syllabus utilisation”, continues Rassool. His out-of-the-box “new generation” thinking has allowed him to shed a new and innovative light on problems the education sector has faced for years.

The foundation is currently planning an infrastructure upgrade at Masakhane Tswalepele School that will address and establish a development network for services, buildings and landscape in order of necessity as funds become available. A maintenance programme that involves students, staff and the community will then be implemented to ensure sustainable upkeep of the school and programme.

FEST utilises strategic partnerships to assist in the development and implementation of the projects, and funding is critical to truly shift circumstances. “The meaningful gain we are able to empower communities with when doing these programmes is priceless. Every child deserves a safe and functional space where they can thrive. Yes the task is mammoth because there are so many schools in need, but the solution is simple. Just start. Start with one school – one project. Investment from funders have the power to start a revolution. Let’s change tomorrow by starting today”, he concludes.

Public and private partnerships are critically needed to save the future workforce of South Africa – if you would like to get involved as a partner or donor, or would like more information on current projects, visit the Fest Foundation today.

iAfrica.com

Lwazi Cedrick Ngcungama (29) from Gcilima, is a self-taught graphic designer who focuses on sports design.
He went to Phathwa High School and is currently in Johannesburg seeking greener pastures.

Lwazi said he’s been designing football jerseys for years and posting them on social media. Recently the South African Football Association (SAFA) and its jersey technical sponsor, Lecoq Sportif created a rare opportunity for members of the public to design a jersey for South Africa’s national teams.

“The winning jersey will be first used for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 to be held in Australia next July. Currently I’m a top five finalist in the competition.”

He is asking South Coasters to vote for him, the voting will close on November 8.

To vote, go to lecoqsportif.co.za, click on sports, then on voting now open, choose design 3 and fill in the form and submit. Or you can use the voting link: http://bit.ly/3DztZZF

“I am the only one from the KZN South Coast left in the competition, I would appreciate every vote so I can bring this one home and achieve one of my ultimate dreams, to design a jersey for our national team that will be worn by all South Africans.”

Earlier this year he designed golf day shirts for the 1996 Bafana Bafana Legends.

STAFF REPORTER