PHINDILE XABA|

PROFESSOR Mbulelo Terrence Goniwe, younger brother to slain political activist Matthew Goniwe, says his sibling came from a generation of educators who were dedicated, committed and intentional about teaching.

”He emerges from the crop of teachers who taught during normal working hours and ran extra classes in the evenings, he got involved in the coaching of sport – boxing and rugby – without thinking about being paid for those activities. You seem to have a feeling that teachers of today want to be paid for whatever they do, but with my brother going the extra mile, teaching was more of calling than a job.”

Mbulelo  who happens to be  an ordained Bishop, said that he too was a beneficiary of Matthew’s intentional teaching. When he was in Standard 7 (Grade 9) at Holomisa Senior Primary in Mqanduli in the Eastern Cape, his elder brother was his Maths and Science teacher.

“I was fortunate to be in his class because he truly loved teaching, we all looked forward to Science and Maths classes,” he said.

Mbulelo said that although there was a substantial age gap between them, they were close enough for him to observe and experience Matthew’s love for the subjects he taught.

“I could see how he lit up when he managed to make someone understand the content of his teaching. He had a manner of presentation that would make the learner comprehend the subject matter.”

He believes that Matthew’s educational leaning towards Maths and Science was influenced by the high-level discussions they used to have with Bishop Canon James Calata, who understood what an African child needed to create a country of substance. James Calata was grandfather to Fort Calata, another one of the Cradock Four.

What would he have done?

Mbulelo says his brother would have marvelled at the progress made by South Africa on the education front as his drive for equality was based on the poverty he saw.

“Government interventions such as school nutrition programmes, scholar transportation, technological advancements where learners have tablets, plus the abolishment of corporal punishment and the kind of free atmosphere where there is reciprocated teaching and learning, would have pleased Matthew.”

He said the content of the curriculum was far more need-based than it was in the past. However, the liberation struggle icon would have been concerned to know that 30 years into our democracy, we have not finetuned the continuity of education from primary school to university level.

“He would not have taken kindly to National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NFSAS) blunders and all the inefficiencies that impede the progress of education. He would have also taken a bold stance against what has emerged and been paraded in our media quite frequently – bullying and gangsterism in our schools. South Africa has made recognisable progress. Children of today are far wiser than their counterparts of past generations, they are smart. This is thanks to the enabling educational environment which is what Matthew was fighting for, he would have marvelled at the progress.”

Preserving his legacy

Mbulelo believes that the strides the Gauteng Department of Education has made concerning preserving and advancing the legacy of Matthew Goniwe are highly commendable.

“In advancing his legacy, it can never be in isolation from other heroines and heroes of the liberation struggle of the country, although he was picked up as an individual, that gesture in itself protects the collective of prestigious sons and daughters who, at the peak of their lives could see the glimmer of light beyond the darkness that was Apartheid.”

Mbulelo said that celebrating even one icon allows the nation to begin writing its own story, not letting another tell the story. He said that in this regard, the sincerity and the accuracy of the story and its content became genuine and not misleading.

He said the Goniwe family – siblings,  the community of Craddock, Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality and the Eastern Cape – was highly appreciative of what the Gauteng Department of Education was doing.

“We have been part of this journey since its inception with MEC Ignatius Jacobs, we have seen it grow from strength to strength in front of our eyes. The appointment of MEC Panyaza Lesufi has added a great impetus to the contribution and organisation of the Matthew Goniwe memorial lecture, which is a central point in terms of preserving and advancing the legacy that we are all so proud of. The Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance has always been an anchor that shall outlive all of us,” he concluded.

* Inside Education

THE DA has called on all teachers found guilty of sexual misconduct to be placed on the National Register for Sex Offenders as well as the Child Protection Register.

This follows the revelation by the South African Council of Educators (SACE) in Parliament that 11 educators had been sacked due to misconduct allegations, including sexual offences against learners.

SACE CEO, Ella Mokgalane, gave a breakdown of cases of alleged teacher misconduct received by the Council for the 2020/21 financial year and revealed that the Council had received 443 cases.

“While the DA welcomes the 11 teachers’ dismissals as a positive step towards accountability, more needs to be done to ensure that those teachers accused of sexual misconduct and abuse are prevented from harming children again,” said Desiree van der Walt, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Basic Education.

“It is for this reason that the DA calls for teachers who have been found guilty of sexual offences to be placed on the NRSO and CPR to prevent them from working with children in the future.”

Van der Walt also reiterated the party’s calls for sexual offenses committed in schools to be included as a reporting category in the annual and quarterly crime statistics.

In August, she wrote to the Police to advocate for the inclusion of the following categories in his crime statistics reports:

A breakdown of sexual offences/abuse of learners on school property;Reported cases of underage pregnancies;Current open dockets of statutory rape, and statutory rape cases that have led to convictions; andA breakdown per province of all above mention statistics.

“As the country observes the start of the 16 Days of Activism of no violence against women and children campaign today, there will be a lot of discussion and promises from the national government about efforts to address the scourge of gender-based violence, as has been the case in previous years,” said Van der Walt.

“The time for talk shops and planning has passed; now is the time for swift and decisive action. This is why the DA proposes that those disgraceful teachers who commit sexual crimes against our children be added to the NRSO and CPR, and that sexual offenses committed in schools be included in annual crime statistics.”

* Inside Education

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet has approved the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill and the Electoral Amendment Bill for submission to parliament.

At a media briefing on Thursday, the minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele said that the Electoral Amendment Bill would amend the Electoral Act of 1998 to make provisions for the election of independent candidates to the national assembly and provincial legislatures.

In a June 2020 judgement, South Africa’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the country’s Electoral Act is unconstitutional. It does not provide for adult citizens to be elected to the National and Provincial Legislatures as independent candidates.

The Electoral Act 73 of 1998 currently only allows political parties to contest in the country’s national and provincial elections.

“A conscious choice not to form or join a political party is as much of a political choice as is the choice to form or join a political party, and must equally be deserving of Constitutional protection,” Constitutional Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga said in his ruling.

“Once an adult citizen is forced to exercise the S19 (3) (b) right to stand for public office through a political party, that diverts her or him of the very choice guaranteed to him not to join or form a political party. That cannot be.”

The court has suspended the judgement for 24 months to give the parliament time to make the necessary amendments.

Schools

Gungubele said that the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill would amend the South African Schools Act of 1996 and the Employment of Educators Act of 1998 as part of a broad push to make schools more accessible in South Africa.

“The amendments, among others, give effect to universal access to two years of early childhood development, it also enforces accountability in school governing bodies and clarifies admission, language, and code of conduct policies,” he said.

Basic Education deputy minister Reginah Mhaule has previously indicated that the bill could introduce additional measures to hold principals, parents and governing bodies accountable for non-attendance.  The bill, which will specifically focus on compulsory schooling between Grades 1 – 9, is also expected to hold parents more accountable than under current laws.

A 2017 version of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill proposed increasing the penalty provision from six months to as much as six years where the parent of a learner, or any other person, prevents a learner who is subject to compulsory school attendance from attending school.

The 2017 bill also proposes making it an offence for any person to interrupt or disrupt any school activity willfully or wilfully hinder or obstruct any school in the performance of the school’s activities.

IT is often said that sports change people’s lives. In the case of Abueng Sekgwelea, it is true. 

The day, she entered a taekwondo dojang as a 12-year-old for the first time, she started a process of inner healing. Within weeks she had regained her self-worth.  

What she started doing in anger became a passion. Sekgwelea is now the Secretary-General of the South African Taekwondo Federation. If she can have her way, every young girl should consider taking up the sport. Sekgwelea takes up her story herself. 

“I grew up in rural Northwest. My mom suffered a lot of physical abuse. At the age of 12, I was raped. Shortly afterwards, I heard about a sport called taekwondo. Because it was a fighting sport, I was immediately interested.” 

“I needed to learn how to defend myself. There was no money for me to officially join up. It meant that I had to resort to lying to be allowed to train.

“As I was not sure as to how long I was going to get away with it, I promised myself that I was going to make the most of every moment on the taekwondo mats. I wanted to learn as much as possible. I would never allow any man to take advantage of me ever again.

“Little did I know that entering a dojang is not about beating up people. The sport is about respect. I am now at a point where I made peace with what happened. Now it is about passion for the sport. I ‘breathe, walk and sleep taekwondo’”. 

Sekgwelea passion did not go unnoticed.

She got a bursary from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in South Africa to complete her schooling at TuksSport High School.

She did so in 2009. 

Nowadays, she has her own dojang in Randburg.

She also coaches at private schools. 

If she can have one dream come true, it is to help a South African taekwondo athlete compete at the Olympic Games. 

“It was my dream to win a medal for South Africa at the Olympics. I represented South Africa internationally, but things did not quite work out as I had hoped. The challenge now is to get someone else to win that medal for South Africa. Would that not be great?”

Last month, TuksSport alongside the TuksTaekwondo, hosted the Korea Ambassadors Cup tournament and up to 250 taekwondo players were expected to compete. Sekgwelea was present on the day, next to the mats cheering on the youngsters.

Secondary schools in England have been asked to prepare to test pupils on-site after Christmas.

On Friday, the Department for Education told schools that testing pupils upon their return in January “will help reduce transmission after a period of social mixing” during the holidays.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said the DfE’s plans were “not reasonable”.

Julie McCulloch, director of policy at ASCL, criticised the “short timeframe”.

In light of the new Covid variant, Omicron, the DfE sent an email to secondary schools in England on Friday. In its email, the department urged secondary schools to be prepared to test pupils when they return in January.

It recognised that the request was “a significant additional ask”. However, it stressed that “testing continues to play a vital role in keeping Covid-19 out of schools”.

The DfE added: “Testing all pupils in school boosts testing participation and will help reduce transmission after a period of social mixing over the school holidays.

“Tests, PPE and funding to support your workforce will be provided as before. After this test on return, pupils should continue to test in line with Government guidelines.”

Throughout the Covid pandemic, schools have faced several disruptions and have been at the heart of lockdown measures, because they provide the potential for prolonged close-up interactions between people from many different households.

On 18 March 2020, schools were told to close for all pupils – aside from vulnerable children and children of key workers. Other teaching was carried out remotely, with parents asked to ensure their children were learning from homeAfter a failed attempt to bring back students in June 2020, schools eventually returned in September that yearBecause of the rise of the Delta variant, schools were told to return to teaching remotely after the Christmas breakSchools returned on 8 March. But rapid lateral flow tests had to be taken regularly by staff and pupils. But carrying out the tests was not the responsibility of schoolsAt the start of the autumn term this year, all secondary school and college pupils in England were asked to take two lateral flow tests at school on their return following the long summer holidays. They were then asked to continue to test twice a week at home

Speaking on behalf of the ASLC, Ms McCulloch said that the education sector recognises the importance of Covid-19 testing as a mechanism to reduce the levels of transmission. However, she says that “it is not reasonable for the government to once again impose this considerable public health task on schools with minimal support”.

She added that the government “seems to have forgotten that school leaders are educators rather than an ad hoc branch of the NHS”.

Ms McCulloch said that the main goal for teachers at the moment is to provide the teaching and learning required by their pupils, which is “particularly important” following the disruptions experienced due to the pandemic.

The government said that introducing on-site testing is part of their commitment to protect face-to-face education and they are asking secondary school pupils to take one test at school when they return in January.

BBC NEWS

Train-maker, the Gibela Rail Transport Consortium, is calling for applications for 200 bursaries in 2022 in engineering, manufacturing, computer science, supply chain and logistics, and various trade fields – for both universities and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions.

Gibela, which has a contract to manufacture 600 trains for the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), said its bursaries include full tuition and a book allowance. The bursaries are granted for one year and are renewable on an annual basis based on academic performance.

Bursary applicants must be:

South African citizens with a South African barcoded identity document.Enrolled or intending to enrol at a South African TVET institution (current N3/N4 candidates are encouraged to apply).Enrolled or intending to enrol at a South African university or university of technology (current first- and second-year candidates are encouraged to apply).Able to demonstrate potential for academic success; andIn need of financial assistance.

“Gibela is revitalising South Africa’s railway industry by manufacturing state-of-the-art commuter trains in the country. It is heavily committed to upskilling and training South Africans to be able to participate in this industry in South Africa – that has potential to grow,” it said.

Citing a report by the World Bank, it said that tertiary education is vital for the development of human capital and innovation, and can serve every country – from the poorest to the richest – by developing its talent and leadership pool, generating and applying knowledge to local and global challenges, and participating in the global knowledge economy.

The report highlights important tertiary education sectors, and engineers, technicians and managers are among the professions mentioned as being key players in public and private sector development.

Corporate services and traction motors operation executive at Gibela, Dr Buyiswa Mncono-Liwani, said: “Quality education will unlock the potential of South Africa’s future and our ability to effectively grow our economy. The bursaries that we offer each year for tertiary study at universities, universities of technology and TVET institutions are an important part of our broader commitment to education and skills development.

“Gibela is invested in educational initiatives in South Africa, from early childhood development and school programmes with a focus on STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] subjects, right through to tertiary education, internships and incubators.

“In addition, with our focus on local content development, we invest in upskilling professionals to build trains in South Africa and ensure they have the skills to continue developing their careers, beyond our contract term with PRASA.”

Gibela bursaries for study at a university or university of technology are available in the following disciplines:

Electrical, electronic, mechanical, metallurgical, and industrial engineering;Computer science and information technology;Accounting; andSupply chain and logistics management.

The prerequisites for applying for a Gibela bursary at a university or university of technology are:

A matric with level 6 for mathematics, physical science and accounting, and level 5 for English.Written proof of acceptance for admission to a South African university or university of technology.

Gibela bursaries to study at TVET institutions are available for the following professions:

BoilermakersElectriciansMechanicsFitters and turnersMillwrightsWeldersPattern-makersVehicle-buildersPlumbersControl and instrumentation technicians

The prerequisites for a Gibela bursary at a TVET institution are:

A matric with Mathematics and Science, and English at level 4Written proof of acceptance for admission to a South African TVET institution

Gibela said that its bursary applications close on 15 February 2022. Interested applicants should send a short CV, a certified copy of their academic records and a certified copy of their South African identity document to gibelabursaries@communityrail.co.za.

The group said it will respond only to applicants who make it through the first round of assessments. “Applicants who have not been contacted by 26 March 2022 should consider their applications unsuccessful.”

BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga says that much progress has been registered in fulfilling the Education White Paper 6 directives since it was introduced in 2001 but more effort is still required to leapfrog to the next level.

The Minister was speaking at an Inclusive Education Summit on Monday, jointly hosted by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD).

The objectives of the summit are to acknowledge the progress made and the gaps that still exist in the implementation of inclusive education.

The Minister said that government’s commitment to inclusive education is derived from the Education White Paper 6 which calls upon it to provide quality education and support to all children with disabilities.

Motshekga said that the White Paper also directed the sector to mobilise out-of-school children and youth of school-going age to take up their right to basic education.

“I am happy to report that we did the advocacy work as required, assisted by a range of industry bodies and civil society organisations, for which we thank you. As a testament to our efforts to date, 137 332 and 121 461 learners, compared to 64 000 and 77 000 learners in 2002, are enrolled in special and ordinary schools, respectively,” Motshekga said.

The Minister said that they have dedicated capacity in all nine Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) to manage inclusive education guided by Basic Education experts based in Pretoria.

“For instance, we have established District-Based Support Teams and School-Based Support Teams to coordinate inclusive education support services for teachers and learners.

“As a collective, these professionals advance the ideal of inclusive education, share best practices and craft and monitor implementation plans for the sector,” she said.

Recently, the minister says the focus has shifted towards implementing Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support.

For instance, during 2020/21, she said 22 074 Individual Support Plans (ISP) were developed to address learners’ educational needs at the school level.

“We had to convert and designate at least 500 public ordinary primary schools as full-service schools in terms of the policy. However, by the end of 2018, we had already designated 848 full-service schools, not just in 30 education districts required in the White Paper 6, but in all education districts.

“It is very rare in government work to say the following, as a sector, we exceeded the target of designating 500 schools as full-service ones by 348,” the Minister said.

The sector had to designate or covert several special schools into resource centres in thirty designated districts as per the directives of the White Paper and to date 373 out of 435 special schools serve as resource centres, providing outreach services to full-service and ordinary schools.

A part of the sector’s work of ensuring access to education for Learners with Severe to Profound Intellectual Disability (LSPID), Minister Motshekga said that 500 special care centres have been audited.

She said that the department has developed and field-tested the Learning Programme for this category of learners.

“So far, 280 transversal itinerant team members have been trained to deliver the Learning Programme. We have at least 3 423 learners with severe to profound intellectual disabilities who now utilise the Learning Programme and access therapeutic services,” Motshekga said.

Minister Motshekga said that great strides have been made on the diversification of curriculum offerings to cater to diverse educational needs.

“We now offer the South African Sign Language (SASL) as a matric subject. For instance, 44 learners in eight of the 17 schools for the Deaf that offer Grade 12 wrote the first National Senior Certificate (NCS) examination in SASL Home Language in 2018,” she said.

In 2019, the Minister said the number increased to 101 learners in 15 schools who wrote the National Senior Certificate examination.

In the year 2020, 140 candidates from five provinces, including Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape, wrote the National Senior Certificate examination.

Meanwhile, the sector continuously offers specialised training to teachers to meet the needs of specific disabilities such as Braille, South African Sign Language, Autism and other inclusive educational programmes.

“I am happy to report that 2 295 teachers have been trained in Braille, 2 714 on South African Sign Language, and 4 724 have received training on Autism,” Motshekga said.

The sector has also provided inclusive education training programmes to some 35 354 teachers in the sector.

Coventry University and Stellenbosch University in South Africa will look to build on their strong relationship by stepping up their collaborative research projects and staff and student exchange programmes. 

As part of a Memorandum of Understanding agreement, Coventry and Stellenbosch will continue working together on additional joint research projects, sharing knowledge and mutual areas of research interest.

They will also collaborate with the objective of offering their students practical experience work placements, providing joint courses and contributing to joint research publications. 

Another goal is for the universities to use their respective platforms and mutual objectives to actively promote international collaboration, equality and the development and improvement of societies around the world. 

The two institutions are already working together on multiple joint research projects and initiatives across a range of Coventry University’s research centres.

Stellenbosch University is among South Africa’s leading tertiary institutions based on research output, student pass rates, rated scientists and student retention.

Stellenbosch aspires to be the leading research-intensive university in Africa and is globally recognized as excellent, inclusive and innovative. It boasts one of the highest weighted research outputs per full-time academic staff member of all South African universities and the highest student success rate in the country. 

Professor John Latham CBE, Coventry University Vice-Chancellor, is an Extraordinary Professor in the area of enterprise and entrepreneurship at Stellenbosch University, where in 2019 he additionally received an Honorary Doctorate for his services to UK Higher Education.

“We’re delighted to be expanding our global reach with this new collaboration with one of South Africa’s most influential institutions in terms of research and student success.”  

“Our excitement continues to build around the opportunities this MoU agreement could provide for students at both Coventry and Stellenbosch, and the potential for us to work together to build on our impactful research and create really unique cultural and educational opportunities for our students is really significant,” said Professor John Latham CBE, Coventry University Vice-Chancellor

“Building purposeful collaborative networks is part of our Vision 2040 and strategy for the future. Over the past few years Stellenbosch University has invested in internationalisation efforts and many of our collaborations create opportunities that, previously, students didn’t have access to. The MoU with Coventry University is a prime example of that and a great initiative that strengthens the relationship between our two great institutions,”

Said Professor Wim de Villiers, Stellenbosch University Rector and Vice-Chancellor

As a globally connected institution with a worldwide network of more than 50,000 learners in more than 40 different countries, Coventry University will look to use this new collaboration to enhance and build on its international research collaborations and multinational body of staff, students and knowledge. 

Coventry University already has collaboration agreements with establishments across the globe, including in Hong Kong, Mexico, France and more, and the university is building new relationships through its four overseas hubs in Europe, Africa and Asia.

As many organizations across the nation consider the role they play in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, leaders in the Binghamton University School of Management have been reflecting on what they can do as well.

“It has become a critical issue for society, meaning it has become a critical issue for us,” says Dean Upinder Dhillon.

With a goal of formulating long-term strategic initiatives, SOM established a Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee made up of faculty and staff. Chaired by Sara Reiter, professor of accounting, the committee plans to address areas such as recruiting diverse students and faculty, improving the classroom experience, and training faculty and staff.

“It’s an important issue, and we’re seeing many of the employers who recruit our students doing a lot in this area as well,” Reiter says.

We don’t just want to invest in this area, we want to see progress.

Dean Upinder Dhillon

To kick things off, the committee held a number of virtual “coffee conversation” events during the 2020-21 academic year to facilitate discussions with faculty and staff.

“The coffee conversations served as an introduction to inclusive pedagogy issues and student identity concerns, and resulted in some very informative workshops,” Reiter says.

One event focused on how to increase inclusion in the classroom. Committee members presented practical ways to implement inclusive classroom practices. Topics included:

Creating an accessible syllabusEnhancing inclusion through class contentUsing case studies to enhance diversity and inclusivenessIncorporating diversity and inclusion when teaching statistics

The committee also held two coffee conversations in collaboration with the University’s Q Center, which provides resources to help foster an inclusive campus environment that supports all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expression.

In April, the committee hosted a webinar that explored ways to implement diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, featuring research from Loreal Jiles and Shari Littan ’86 of the IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants). Their report, Diversifying U.S. Accounting Talent: A Critical Imperative to Achieve Transformational Outcomes, examines the diversity gap between the demographic background of executive leadership ranks and the rest of the accounting profession.

The presentation was followed by a panel of top diversity leaders and active members of DEI initiatives from major accounting firms who discussed practical ways companies can address the diversity gap. Nearly 300 people attended — many of them students.

“The student participation was really remarkable,” Reiter says. “There were over 100 questions from students in the chat box for the webinar. Students are very interested and engaged in the topic of how workplaces can become more diverse and inclusive.”

While these events have helped raise awareness within the SOM community, Reiter says the next step for the committee is to formulate a strategic plan with measurable outcomes.

“This is a big project in terms of broadly identifying issues and proposing targeted actions,” she says. “We’ve started by gathering data on how students view the SOM experience that we hope can guide our efforts.”

According to Reiter, the proposed initiatives will be connected to SOM’s main strategic priorities, a connection that Dhillon says solidifies the school’s commitment.

“We don’t just want to invest in this area, we want to see progress. That means identifying the right metrics to measure the progress we are making,” he says. “We, as a school, are rising to the challenge and doing our part.”

BINGHMAPTON.EDU