THE Russian Union of Rectors (RUR) has issued a strong statement supporting the Russian army and President Vladimir Putin’s decision to take military action in Ukraine, and underlining a commitment to “instil patriotism in young people”.

The statement (in Russian) reported by Tass on 5 March is dated 4 March, the day the European Commission announced a suspension of science cooperation with Russia.

It repeats Putin’s position that the invasion of Ukraine is a “special military operation” required to “achieve the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine”, end the conflict in Donbass and protect Russia from “growing military threats”.

It says: “The long-term tragedy in the Donbass resonates with particular pain and bitterness in our hearts.

“It is very important these days to support our country, our army, which defends our security, to support our President, who, perhaps, made the most difficult, hard-won but necessary decision in his life.

“It is important not to forget about our main duty – to conduct a continuous educational process, to instil patriotism in young people, the desire to help the Motherland.”

The statement says Russia’s universities have always been the backbone of the state.

“Our priority goal is to serve Russia and develop its intellectual potential. Now more than ever, we must demonstrate confidence and resilience in the face of economic and information attacks, effectively rally around our President, by our example strengthening the optimistic spirit and faith in the power of reason among young people, instilling hope for an early peace.”

Professor Jan Palmowski, secretary-general of the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities, said via Twitter: “Russian Rectors’ Union on Ukraine has it deeply wrong: the role of universities can never be to instil patriotism; in history such attempts have always led to disaster.”

He said Mariya Gabriel, the European commissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth, was “completely right to stop Horizon Europe collaboration”, referring to her 4 March decision to halt EU cooperation with Russia in research, science and innovation.

The RUR’s 4 March statement marks a distinct hardening of the line taken two days earlier after a meeting of the expanded council of the RUR.

That 2 March statement (in Russian) mentioned that Putin had “exhaustively explained the reasons for the difficult but forced decision to conduct a special military operation”, but did not overtly support it or repeat his justifications for the action.

It said the present situation calls for the consolidation of the university community. “The most important thing is to maintain the unity of the university community and its culture of trust, the high quality and accessibility of higher education, and the atmosphere of mutual assistance and understanding among students and professors.

“We must support each other and those who need it most – our students. Particular attention should be paid to international students studying in Russia and to Russian students who have encountered unexpected difficulties in a number of foreign countries. Our country’s leading universities are ready to accept Russian students from abroad to study.”

The rectors said: “We have a clear action plan to help Russian universities steadfastly overcome all difficulties, including those related to the implementation of international projects, the development of scientific infrastructure, and the publication of articles in foreign scientific journals. We must be close to each other, feel each other’s shoulder; then we will overcome all difficulties.

“Russian universities should not break their international ties, which have been formed over decades, convincing reliable partners of the need to continue working together to find answers to global challenges and in the name of preserving the world scientific heritage.”

– University World News

A research engineer at a Renfrew manufacturing institute has shared her experience on being a woman in science to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Sairah Bashir works as a research and development engineer at the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre, part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) Group, operated by the University of Strathclyde.

To mark this year’s theme #BreakTheBias for International Women’s Day, Sairah has shared a personal view on the impact of misleading stereotypes on a career in the science, technology, engineering, and manufacturing (STEM) sectors, and why we must educate young people on the fulfilling career paths within each.

Sairah said: “I was recently asked what International Women’s Day means to me.

“As a female working in an industry that male workers have historically dominated, I am passionate about encouraging more women to follow their dreams.

“Tomorrow (March 8) marks a movement to empower that change.

“The theme for this year is #BreakTheBias; imagining a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination, and it is upon all of us to create a space to allow for this.”

She said the lack of women in the industry was noticeable, and at one point she was the only woman in her office.

She is calling on more changes to be made to help support more women into the STEM industry.

She added: “When I was younger, I never imagined myself as an engineer. I was drawn towards biology and chemistry and at that time, physics was a subject where the classroom was mostly made up of boys.

“I went on to study a Masters Degree in chemistry at the University of Strathclyde and it wasn’t until my fourth year that I met PhD students who told me about their time in the engineering department.

“Nearing the end of my degree I began exploring career opportunities and found myself drawn to a PhD in engineering. At that time, I was the only female – not just within my research group but within the entire office.

“Still deemed a male dominated industry, it was a struggle to attract more females – we can still see this to this day, albeit to a lesser extent.

“It wasn’t until my third and final year as new researchers were welcomed in the group, that it become more balanced.

“There has been a lot of investment in recent years to try and break that bias. A report by Engineering UK last June found that women make up 14.5 per cent of engineers.

“This represented a 25.7 per cent increase in women in engineering occupations since 2016 and I am proud to be one of the female engineers who has contributed to that increase. Yet, more must be done.

“Women are still underrepresented in these roles globally and to create an industry that is truly gender equal, the engineering sector as a whole must take a joined-up approach to educate young people, no matter their gender, on the vast number of fulfilling career paths.

“There are already more than 30,000 STEM ambassadors across the UK, from a range of disciplines in engineering, design and science, who are working hard to debunk the myths of these sectors and shed light on what a career can really look like.

“Engineering as a profession is often perceived as the sole role of a ‘mechanic’ and is notoriously associated with being a position more apt for a man, with the workload deemed as hard, dirty and laborious.

“However, this is simply not the case.

“At school, I never imagined that studying biology or chemistry would lead to me becoming an engineer.

“I thought that the subjects were distinct and that there wasn’t much crossover, however as a research and development engineer at the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre (LMC), part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), I believe that my background in chemistry has enhanced my role.

“My job doesn’t look like the stereotypical ‘mechanic’ – I study the materials and testing that comes before manufacture and my chemical understanding brings a lot to the table.

“I get to work on projects that my younger self wouldn’t believe, and I am currently leading a collaborative research and development project called FutureFibre.

“Here we are combining the experience of academics and industry professionals to provide the environment, infrastructure and resources to delve deeper into alternatives to the traditional fibre manufacturing process.

“We are aiming to develop sustainable ways of making fibre composites and our end goal is to use these within sectors such as automotive and aerospace.

“It is an incredibly exciting project to be a part of and most days my hands do not get ‘dirty’ at all.

“At the LMC, four out of the team of seven are women, while in wider NMIS, women make up nearly 30 per cent of the workforce.

“Within NMIS senior management, three out of the team of seven are women who have carved out successful careers in the manufacturing space, which sends a positive and inspiring message to us all.

“So, what does International Women’s Day mean to me? I was given the space to develop my experience and try new things to follow my passions and I think it is about ensuring that all females are encouraged to do the same.

– Daily Record

INDIAN and African students studying in Ukraine have appealed for help to get them out of the country and home to safety.

As Russia launched its military attack on Ukraine on Thursday 24 February and the government closed its airspace to civilian flights and imposed martial law, African student unions raised fears over the safety of thousands of African students studying in Ukraine’s higher education institutions.

Students from India earlier appealed to their government for help to leave the crisis-hit country as tensions over a possible Russian invasion mounted, but no official plans for an evacuation materialised.

About 18,000 Indian students – making up a quarter of some 76,500 foreign students from 155 countries, according to Ukraine Ministry of Education statistics – are presently stuck in Ukraine, worried about their safety.

Three African countries made up nearly 20% of all foreign students in Ukraine as of 2020, according to Ukraine’s ministry of education and science. Morocco, Nigeria and Egypt are in the top 10 list for countries whose students are studying in Ukraine, accounting for 8,000, 4,000 and 3,500 students respectively.

On what Western leaders said was a “dark day” for Europe, Kamal Ashear, Moroccan student atDnipro State Medical University  in Ukraine told University World News in a recorded message via WhatsApp: “Moroccan students are now in shelters in a dilemma, panic and great fear. We do not know how to return to our country … No airports. No trains, no cars, no taxis. The cities are closed, the streets are empty, and the movement is paralysed.”

Also a hashtag dubbed ‘Egyptian students in Ukraine’  said: “Please raise our voice, we are in terror. We want to return safely to our country. We do not know what to do.”

On Thursday, after Russia declared war on Ukraine, students in Kharkiv reported explosions in the city. In Ivano-Frankivsk, where many Indian students are studying, there were reports of the airport being bombed, confirmed by the Ukraine interior ministry, and shelling elsewhere in the city.

Study in Ukraine, the official Ukrainian government source of information for international students, issued a 24 February statement  saying: “Tonight, Russia attacked Ukraine. Martial law has been declared in Ukraine. Follow the news and stay in touch with your university! Remember, safety is the priority now!”

In response, several African embassies in Ukraine including Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Ghana issued statements to guide their communities including students.

The Egyptian embassy in Kiev issued a 24 February statement calling upon Egyptian citizens there “not to leave their homes, to keep identification documents, and to follow the instructions issued by the Ukrainian authorities until the situation stabilises”.

The Nigerian embassy urged Nigeria nationals resident in Ukraine, including students, to “remain calm but be very vigilant and be responsible for their personal security and safety”.

Ghana’s foreign ministry urged Ghanaian students in Ukraine to seek shelter in their homes or in designated government places of shelter. More than 1,000 Ghanaian nationals are currently studying or working in Ukraine, the ministry said, adding that it is “gravely concerned” for their safety.

Peter Kwasi Kodjie, secretary general of the All-Africa Students Union (AASU), told University World News: “AASU is deeply concerned by the Russian Federation’s military attacks against the Republic of Ukraine and is gravely disturbed about the security and safety of several thousand African students caught in the conflict.”

AASU urged the United Nations, African diplomatic missions and other relevant humanitarian missions to provide unrestrained shelter and security for them.

Serhiy Kvit, head of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance of Ukraine, confirmed to University World News on 24 February that all university activities were suspended due to the Russian military action.

In the days leading up to the invasion, Indian students reported a tense atmosphere and India last week announced a ban on all flights between India and Ukraine, even though Ukraine had kept its airspace open.

India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation this week lifted that ban under an ‘air bubble’ arrangement with Ukraine, and discussions were underway between the ministries of external affairs and civil aviation and several airlines about increasing the number of flights to bring back Indian citizens, but the cost of those flights was a concern for students.

However, in the early hours of Thursday Russian forces began attacking targets all over Ukraine and by Friday Russian forces were moving into the country from across the border in the north, east and south.

Indians, students advised to leave

An advisory by the Indian embassy on 20 February announced that in view of “continued high levels of tensions and uncertainties with respect to Ukraine, all Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential and all Indian students are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily. Available commercial flights and charter flights may be availed for travel, for orderly and timely departure.”

Some students subsequently received an embassy advisory specifically targeting students, advising them that it would be “in the interest of their safety to leave Ukraine temporarily, rather than wait for official confirmation from universities”.

Three quarters of the Indian students currently stranded in Ukraine are studying various courses in medical colleges. The country is a popular destination for Indian students pursuing medical, dental and nursing courses as fees in Ukraine are a quarter of the fees of private medical colleges in India.

Some students who had already managed to return to India from Ukraine prior to Russia’s full-scale attack said that border cities were being evacuated by the Ukrainian government as tensions mounted. Most of those students were able to return aboard Air Arabia flights via Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Others left on Turkish Airlines flights via Istanbul, and then to Delhi via Qatar Airways. But they constitute a minority as thousands of their classmates remain stranded in Ukraine, they said.

A special Air India flight was sent to Ukraine on 22 February. Although not billed as an evacuation, over 250 Indians, including students, returned from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city in its northeastern region, just 25 kilometres from the Russian border. The embassy of India in Ukraine said at the time that four flights would operate on 25 February, 27 February and 6 March from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to Delhi.

Kharkiv has two institutions popular with international students: VN Karazin Kharkiv National University with some 4,277 international students; and Kharkiv National Medical University with 4,215 students from overseas, according to 2020 figures.

Soaring airfares

Vivek Sharma (22) from Karnal in India’s northern state of Haryana is currently in his first year at Lviv University of Business and Law in western Ukraine studying business management, having only arrived in Ukraine three months ago.

“I want to leave Ukraine by any means,” he told University World News in the build-up before the invasion. “But at this time the air tickets from Ukraine to India cost more than INR70,000 (about US$930). It was only INR30,000 in normal times. I don’t have that much money. Even our family members have not been told the real situation or else they will be anxious.”

Sharma and other students in Ukraine are from middle-class families and came to the country to study for a better future but many had used up family savings or have taken out loans to be able to study in Ukraine and could not afford an emergency air ticket out. Sharma said he would be spending around INR600,000 (US$8,000) for the full four-year course. He said students like himself have only UAH4,000-5,000 (US$135-170) left.

Pawan Meshram (22) from Nagpur in India’s western Maharashtra state is enrolled in an undergraduate MBBS medical programme at Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University in Ivano city, northwestern Ukraine. Currently in his second year of study, he wanted to leave Ukraine before the invasion, but soaring airfares made it impossible.

“The embassy has announced flights for returning to India, but the tickets are so expensive that we cannot afford them,” Meshram told University World News before the invasion, adding that he wanted the Indian government to evacuate its citizens at the earliest.

Some universities were not allowing foreign students a leave of absence despite mounting tensions in the country. Speaking before universities closed down due to the invasion, Meshram said if a single class was skipped the university imposed a fine equivalent to INR550. In this way, INR2,200 (about US$30) could be levied for skipping four classes in a single day, which made it difficult for students to leave Ukraine.

Campaign for students stuck in Ukraine

Indian families of students in Ukraine had urged the government to bring Indian students back home as soon as possible.

Charmesh Sharma, a student and Congress Party worker in Bundi in India’s northern desert state of Rajasthan, who assists Indians in distress abroad, had been campaigning for the students. He was in touch with the Indian foreign ministry as well as the Indian embassy in Ukraine and had written a letter to the president of India demanding assistance for them.

He told University World News: “It is the responsibility of the government to bring these children from Ukraine safely. They are scared. Their lives are in danger. Their families in India are having sleepless nights.”

Before the invasion began, the embassy said the mission was continuing to function normally to provide all services to Indian nationals and it had asked Indian nationals to keep it posted about their status in Ukraine, to enable the mission to reach out to them when needed and facilitate their evacuation in case a conflict flared up between Russia and Ukraine.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs had established a control room and issued contact and helpline numbers for its nationals trapped in Ukraine.

– University World News

STAFF REPORTER |

THE Universities Alliance South Africa (UASA) representing students and staff across South African universities is preparing to file a lawsuit against several public universities over their mandatory vaccine policies.

The alliance has demanded that institutions of higher learning must abandon their vaccine mandate policies by the end of business day on Tuesday or face legal action.

The UASA said that the COVID-19 mandatory vaccine policy must be declared unconstitutional as it violates the rights to human dignity, bodily integrity, education and labour relations.

The Stephen G May attorneys released a statement on behalf of UASA. The Alliance said that it is against the mandatory vaccine policies implemented by numerous institutions, “it is irrational, medically justified and in any event wholly outdated.”

The Stephen G May attorneys act on behalf of UASA, which comprises students, parents and staff from universities throughout the Republic of South Africa, as well as for the African Christian Democratic Party.

“Our clients, both of whom act in terms of section 38 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa in the interests of their members and others (“affected persons”) to defend the constitutional rights of affected persons at universities through various means, including, if it cannot be avoided, through litigation,” the attorneys said.

UASA said that the vaccine mandate policies deny university students and staff their right to choose, “which is an affront to their dignity.”

UASA, has engaged in a consultative process with several universities. 

During the processes, UASA identified critical legal, procedural, and scientific shortcomings. 

“From these consultative attempts, it would be readily apparent that our clients’ stance … [is] a grave reservation about the present mandates, which rob those people affected by them of, inter alia, their right to choose, which itself is an affront to their dignity,” said UASA.
The statement indicated that if the South African tertiary institutions fail to meet the demands the matter will be headed to the constitutional court.

“Both our clients expected that universities in SA, having taken months in many instances to formulate their mandates under the now historical Delta variant, would have followed the evidence closely and the effect of the Omicron variant, more especially given that these Covid-19 vaccine mandates constitute drastic and unprecedented measures which encroach on a raft of human rights, not least of which are the rights to human dignity, bodily integrity, education and fair labour relations.”

UASA believes that vaccine mandates constitute forced experimentation.

“Requiring staff, students and other stakeholders to receive into their bodies experimental COVID-19 vaccines that are not historically tested and acceptable attenuated vaccines. And requiring individuals to present proof of vaccination by COVID-19 vaccine to access university campuses and to continue with studies and work, alternatively to be subjected to discriminatory constraints.”

Meanwhile, the University of Cape Town’s Vaccine Mandate Panel will on Wednesday hold a meeting to draft UCT vaccine Mandate Policy. The university has encouraged students to participate in the session to make their voices heard.

 Earlier last week, the University of Johannesburg students embarked on a protest against vaccine mandate policies at the Auckland Park campus.

The students have until the end of March to get fully vaccinated, the UJ vaccine policy requires staff and students to be fully vaccinated to gain access to the facilities.

The Wits University Student Representative Council (SRC) president Cebolenkosi Khumalo said that they are rejecting the vaccine mandate policies.
Khumalo said that the vaccine mandate violates the rights of the students and staff who do not want to vaccinate.

–Inside Education

STAFF REPORTER |

THE Democratic Alliance has called for stricter safety measures around the schools across Gauteng. 

This after a matric learner was attacked and stabbed on Friday by unknown people outside the Langenhoven High School in Pretoria.

The matric learner was stabbed multiple times by unknown suspects and has since been admitted to the hospital and is said to be fighting for her life.

The Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said the incident took place outside the school on Friday afternoon when unknown people targeted the learner.

Mabona said the department of Education condemns the incident.

The DA’s Gauteng Community Safety Spokesperson Crezane Bosch said that the incident comes after numerous incidents have been reported of learners, teachers, security guards and general workers being brutally attacked and assaulted outside the school premises.

 “These cases have been reported to both the Wonderboom and Central police stations and, still to date, there is no police visibility around the school to prevent crime and ensure the safety of the school and the surrounding community,” said Bosch.

Bosch said that even though the cases were reported to the police, no arrests have been made in connection with the incidents.

“The perpetrators are believed to have settled on top of the mountain in Capital Park, from where they prey on their victims,” Bosch said.

The DA said that it has inspected the area and demanded a joint operation to monitor and clean up the area.

“The DA has inspected the area and demands that the Department of Community Safety launches a joint operation to monitor and clean up the area of any criminal elements,” Bosch said.

“The department must also implement footpath patrols with horses during the week when children are at their most vulnerable.” 
The DA also demanded an urgent intervention by the Gauteng Department of Education to ensure the safety of the school.

– Inside Education

SCIENTIFIC research over the past 30 years has shown that the most important period of human development is from birth to eight years old.

In the first few years of a child’s life, more than one million neural connections are formed each second, a pace that will never be repeated.

Proper early childhood development (ECD) stimulates brain growth; sparks creative thinking; improves communication, vocabulary and language. This is according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) research that also shows that early childhood development promotes impulse control and emotion regulation.

Although learning takes place throughout life, the pace of learning in early childhood will never be equalled again.  To maximise this pace of learning, the independent education provider, Curro Holdings has implemented the Curiosity Approach programme across four of its nursery schools.

The Curiosity Approach considers the crucial component of early childhood learning – free and uninterrupted play. An early childhood education setting should be a place where children discover a love for learning through a variety of play experiences.

The programme stems from the UK and has grown to become a world-wide education solution. Its methodology encompasses the latest global trends in ECD, where it has proven to be more successful than traditional teaching methods currently being followed by most ECD centres.

Locally, the programme was first implemented in 2019 by Curro Rosen Castle which is now the only official Curiosity Approach School in South Africa. To date, three more schools have joined this programme – Curro Fourways, Curro Chartwell and Curro Bryanston.

According to Sally Langerman, Operational Head at Rosen Castle, the Group adopted this approach because of its exceptional global results in developing children holistically.  “All children deserve a  learning environment where play is recognised as important, where nature is weaved throughout the learning process, where learning also takes place outdoors with the use of all senses and where the focus of the school is on the individual child,” she adds.

“We have seen dramatic results in many areas. Our environment is much calmer with all the bright colours and restricting furniture being removed. It’s unbelievable how this immediately calms the classroom environment. Children don’t run around in the space, they lose that edge, and instead become more intentionally engaged in the environment and the learning process,” says Langerman.

The Curiosity Approach is based on four pillars:

Uninterrupted free play;Changing traditional school settings to a more natural, comfortable and engaging environment that has the child at its centre;Reducing visual over-stimulation and instead increasing multi-sensory learning utilising and incorporating nature throughout the day;Ensuring children maximize every day of their early years – it’s precious. It should not be spent full of adult directed routines.

Langerman says Curro’s Grade R teachers are thrilled with the quality of learners who are coming through to them and have commented very favourably on their readiness to learn.

The Lego Foundation reports that 94% of businesses say they expect people to learn new skills on the job, and the skills they most want to see are critical thinking, problem-solving, active learning, resilience, stress tolerance, creativity, and flexibility. These skills are closely linked to the five super skills that children develop naturally when they learn through play, which makes it a no-brainer when considering ECD options for your child. 

STAFF REPORTER |

THE management of Makgofe High School outside Seshego, Polokwane released their learners on Thursday after many learners were found collapsing due to some unusual occurrence.

According to a learner who’s doing grade 8 at the school, she said that one of their classmate collapsed and started crying out loud.

“A we were seating in class; the teacher was busy. Suddenly there was noise at the back, when I looked back one of my classmate collapsed on the floor. She was creaming out loud and also shaking,” said the student.

She further added that the teacher requested all the learners to go outside of the class.

The school called some of the parents to come and fetch their children while some learners and teachers were told to leave the premises.

The Limpopo Department of Education said that they are looking in to the matter.

The Spokesperson for the department Tidimalo Chuene said that the school reported that 40 learners from various grades displayed “strange behaviour.”

“The school reported that the learners’ behaviour did not resemble any physical illness.  As the department, we still don’t know what caused their fainting or why they fainted. We don’t want to speculate but we are concerned,” Chuene said.

The Spokesperson said the education department will work together with psychosocial experts to assist.

“We will bring the psychosocial experts to assist with the situation, so that teaching and learning can resume,” said Chuene.

–Inside Education

STAFF REPORTER |

THE North West Department of Education has on Tuesday conducted training for the senior school management across the province with the aim of fighting the scourge of bullying and use of drugs in school.

The department held training with principals, deputy principals, head of Departments and school safety officers.

“In an effort to fight back the scourge of bullying and drugs in schools, the North West Department of Education has conducted an intensive training of arming the Senior School Management across the province,” said the provincial education spokesperson Elias Malindi.

Malindi said that the training covered the drug situation in the North West and the effects of drugs.

“The training covers the drug situation in the North West schools, definition of drugs, signs and symptoms of drug usage, effects of drugs in the school environment, legal aspect of drugs testing and training, drug testing practicals and stakeholder analysis,” he said.

The department said the National School Safety Framework training has been added since it is the umbrella under which all school safety programs fall.

“This tool kit covers school safety in a holistic manner and is approved by the Department of Basic Education as a guide for school safety in all South African schools,” said Malindi.

The MEC for Education in the North West province, Mmaphefo Matsemela emphasised that the school management team should be equipped to detect bullying and drugs usage in schools.

“Since bullying is a major issue in our schools, there is a need to equip schools on how to deal with the scourge. Participants were equipped on the definition of bullying, different types of bullying, how to deal with bullying, possible anti-bullying activities, bullying action plan and possible stakeholders,” said Matsemela.  

The MEC said positive discipline and classroom management was also offered in the training.

“One method of curbing violence in the schools is to deal with corporal punishment in the schools. Positive discipline and classroom management is also offered in this training as a means of replacing corporal punishment and encourages schools to take back the authority in the classroom in order to take the school a place of safety, teaching, and learning”, said MEC Matsemela.

“This training in essence covered school safety in total and there is a monitoring programme which will be adhered to by schools for implementation processes,” said Malindi.

-Inside Education

STAFF REPORTER |

THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has announced that the applications for the 2023 academic year is currently underway.

The applications opened on the 1st of Match and it will close on the 30th of September 2022.

The Education Department has urged guardians and parents to register their children on time to avoid late registration in January 2023.

“Applications for the 2023 academic year are currently underway from the 1st of March to the 30th of September 202 Apply early to ensure a smooth start to your child’s academic year,” the department said.

The department said parents and guardians must avoid late applications as it hinders the children’s learning.

The provincial MEC for Education, Kwazi Mshengu said, “as the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal, we urge parents to heed this call of early registration of learners.”

He further added that registering children on time will give educators ample time to sharpen the learners’ future.

“This will assist the system, especially our educators to have ample time to sharpen our learners and secure a bright future for them as well as the nation,” said Mshengu.

The department urged parents to enroll learners for entry into grades 1 to 8.

The department encouraged parents and guardians to apply for a minimum of three schools in order to make sure that they secure space for their children.

The department further encouraged guardians and parents to follow up on the progress of the applications three months after submitting.

-Inside Education

KWAZULU-NATAL Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu has promised to appoint an independent panel by Friday that will help deal with racism allegations that have surfaced again at Grosvenor Girls’ High School in Durban.

Last week the classes were disrupted at the school following the alleged racism allegations.

The learners are accusing the teachers of calling them monkeys and other derogatory terms.

The MEC visited the school on Tuesday to speak with learners, the school governing body and the school management.

He has instructed the department’s head of department to appoint the panel.
In 2019 the school was also marred by the same allegations of racism and the MEC said the panel will appoint will help in resolving the issue once and for all.
He acknowledged that the department made a mistake of not appointing an independent panel when the issues of racism surfaced in 2019.

He encouraged students to give their personal accounts to the panel.

“When findings and recommendations are made before us we will act without fear. It is better to get an independent panel,” said Mshengu.

Further, the MEC explained that the department wants to deal with these issues expeditiously and added that he has advised that the panel be given clear time frames with deadlines.

Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) tried to disrupt Tuesday’s meeting and the MEC said it was unfortunate that the party wanted to take the opportunity while the department is trying to work on the issue.

“We will deal with anyone involved in these allegations of racism and maladministration. We are not going to succumb to the pressure from the EFF and cut corners because ultimately if we do that, we will not serve justice to the learners,” he added.

The independent panel will be given 21 days to finish its investigations and the MEC pleaded with learners to allow teaching and learning to continue during that time.

“Learners must be in class so that they don’t lose time in terms of teaching and learning,” he stressed.

-Engineering News