learning

A South African non-governmental organisation, Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy, has received the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Confucius Prize for Literacy.

The Confucius Prize for Literacy award was presented on International Literacy Day - 8 September 2014 - and its candidacy was supported by the Ministry of Basic Education and the South African National Commission for UNESCO.

A South African non-governmental organisation, Partners for Possibility, which pairs business people and school principals to improve school management and teaching, has won an international award in Belgium.

Partners for Possibility received the award for Innovative and Creative Partnerships in Africa for its solution to the challenges facing education in South Africa.

Eight months into the academic year, pupils at a rural school in Limpopo still do not have textbooks.
 
The school governing body (SGB) at Ramalawane Secondary School in Ga-Mphahlele village, in the Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipality, say their repeated pleas to have outstanding textbooks delivered have fallen on deaf ears.
 
SGB member, Masese Madigoe, says that the school required 105 textbooks for maths, physical science, geography, Sepedi and life orientation, adding that pupils in grades 9, 10 and 11 are affected by the non-delivery of textbooks.
 

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says that despite a growing school population, the number of South African schools has declined.

In its new report, the SAHRC says that approximately 2 000 schools have been closed down between 2000 and 2012.
 
SAHRC’s Carmen Abdoll, points out that most of the schools are in the Free State, and believes there is a risk that pupils in those areas are being disadvantaged.

Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, believes a school needs good teachers in order to produce quality students.

Speaking during a speech at the St John's College fundraising gala dinner in the Eastern Cape, Ramaphosa emphasises that the school had been favoured with good teachers.

President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet Jeria, proposes to her government to avail 50 scholarships to students in South Africa and other African countries to pursue their master's degrees at a top university in Chile.

Bachelet states that the awarding of the scholarships would be done in honour of the late President Nelson Mandela.

She adds that ‘Tata’, who affectionately became known by his clan name Madiba, was her role model growing up.

Malawi's first lady, Gertrude Hendrina Mutharika, urges women in diaspora to assist in the education of a girl child back home in order to make them responsible citizens.
 
Mutharika believes girls in Malawi drop out of school due to several challenges such as lack of support, long distances to school and early marriages.
 
She further adds that, "Government has introduced a number of initiatives with the assistance of our development partners to make sure that girls do stay in school and also complete their education.”
 

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been challenged to stick to their core business of being vehicles of development and shun meddling in politics.

The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Manicaland Province, Chris Mushohwe, says that NGOs should not engage in politics but rather partner the government and become instruments for development.

Mushohwe was speaking at the commissioning of a classroom block in Chindoti village that was renovated by Plan Zimbabwe.

A new study shows that grade R classes have almost zero effect on the future performance of pupils in South Africa’s poorest schools.

Titled ‘The Impact of the Introduction of Grade R on Learning Outcomes’, the study states that, “The impact of grade R in South Africa is small and there is virtually no measurable impact for the poorest three school quintiles, while there are some impacts for the higher quintile school.”

Ufulu Wathu Community Based Organisation (CBO) and Action Aid, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), have urged the Education Department in Phalombe, Malawi, to absorb disabled pupils into its various schools and not discriminate them because of their various physical challenges.

Ufulu Wathu programme coordinator, Symon Thipa, says the current situation is alarming as research reveals that over 23 schools around Traditional Authority Nkhulambe do not have disability friendly facilities.