Inside Education Reporter

The two-day Free the Children Conference and civil society engagement whose aim is to design a roadmap to support the repatriation of children forcibly removed to Russia at the start of the Ukraine invasion in February 2022  – was held in South Africa recently.

Among the delegates was former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, 

Ukrainian Ambassador Extraordinary HE Ms Liubov Abravitova, Professor Cheryl            Hendricks – former Executive Head of the African Institute of South Africa in the Human Sciences Research Council, Professor William Gumede – Associate  Professor, School of Governance at Wits University and Executive Chairperson of Democracy Works Foundation. 

Moderator and In Transformation Initiative member Daniel Ngoepe pointed out that South Africa has a history of the struggle for human rights and has a lot in common with Ukraine and its fight for its existence and, more especially, the freedom of the more than 19,000 children abducted from Russian-controlled territories including Ukraine.

Ngoepe said there was no greater crime against humanity than the abduction of Ukrainian children and the children stolen from the Russian-controlled territories. 

He urged society not to just speak up but to act because children everywhere were becoming victims of crime. “Children in Nigeria, South Sudan and in many war-torn countries are subjected to violence and crime”.

“South Africa has a role to play in campaigns, engagements, and finding practical ways to solve the problem. South Africa can reclaim its credibility as the voice for those who are being oppressed, as we did with Palestine, and apply the same principle to the children of Ukraine.”

Ukrainian Ambassador HE Liubov Abravitova said the 10 years of Russian occupation of Ukraine and the two years of its invasion have unleashed untold horror and violence on the people of her country, with thousands losing their lives and thousands more losing their homes.

“The suffering of the children is difficult to pronounce. But more than 500 children have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced and removed from their homes. The children are targeted and taken to Russia in what Moscow says are attempts at rehabilitation and ending gangsterism.

“This is nothing but an attempt at re-education and collective brainwashing of Ukrainian children. There are many similarities with South Africa during apartheid when children were targeted at a young age.

“Estimates are that during apartheid 8 000 children under the age of 18 were held in prisons with little protection. So our pain is understandable to South Africans.

“South Africa believes in the rights of children as enshrined in your wonderful Constitution. South Africa’s cooperation with Ukraine can help us get the children back.  Your President Cyril Ramaphosa’s initiative and his peace mission is an example of your support for our plight”.

Professor Cheryl Hendricks in her opening remarks said South Africa will always support those who feel injustices because of its past.

Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko painted a picture of the horrors of what the Ukranians were being subjected to during what he described as his country’s “12th war” with Russia.

“The first victim is always a child when occupiers come into a country,” he said. 

“Thousands of elderly people are raped and murdered. Please don’t look away. Be on the side of the good. Being neutral in the face of evil is to multiply evil. You have lived through what we lived,” he said while appealing to South Africa to support their cause.

Professor William Gumede assured the Ukranians that South Africa’s civil society wants to give support to their cause and that the Democracy Works Foundation needs to build capacity and support those who fight for democracy in Africa and beyond.

Gumede said the economic costs of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were huge not only for South Africa but for the continent as a whole and that is the reason why it is important for South Africa to help resolve the conflict.

He said Ukraine is waging a colonial war against Russia “the same way South Africans waged a colonial war against apartheid which gave rise to our democracy.

“Our foreign policy,” therefore, Gumede said, “must also reflect our constitutional democracy”. And “As Africans, if we do nothing, we will provoke a global impunity”.

On the issue of children: “Why are children important? Children and women suffer the most during conflict. It is imperative we support children and women in war-torn countries such as Sudan, Nigeria and in Gaza”.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

The University of Cape Town (UCT) will honour approximately 4 850 graduates – including 26 PhD degrees – during the ongoing March graduation ceremonies taking place over five days.

UCT will also confer honorary doctorates on four distinguished individuals who have contributed exceptionally to their respective fields: Mr Lionel Basil Davis, Ms Shirley Gunn, Professor Brian John Huntley and Professor Lehlohonolo Burns Banda Jiyane Machobane.

The March 2024 graduation ceremonies began on Saturday, 23 March, and will continue until Thursday, 28 March 2024.

• See the full schedule of March graduation ceremonies.

UCT Vice-Chancellor (interim) Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy said: “To all our graduates, I extend my heartfelt congratulations on reaching this significant milestone. Your commitment to academic excellence and personal growth has been exemplary, and your achievements are a testament to your hard work and determination.

“Graduation is a time not only of personal celebration, but also one of reflection on the transformative power of education. Your qualification from UCT is a testament to your intellectual capabilities and will serve as a valuable asset in your professional career. As graduates of a premier university in Africa and the world, you have received a high-quality education that equips you to make meaningful contributions to society.”

The four honorary doctorates will be conferred as follows:

• Ms Gunn will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Social Science (DSocSc) (honoris causa) on Monday, 25 March at 14:00.
• Professor Huntley will receive the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Tuesday, 26 March at 14:00.
• Mr Davis will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Social Science (DSocSc) (honoris causa) on Wednesday, 27 March at 10:00.
• Professor Machobane will receive the degree of Doctor of Social Science (DSocSc) (honoris causa) on Thursday, 28 March at 10:00.

The ceremonies are live-streamed on the UCT graduation feature page and the university’s social media platforms: Facebook and X. Recordings of the ceremonies will be made available at a later stage on the UCT YouTube channel as well as on the graduation feature page.

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Inside Education Correspondent

What are the implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education and what does applying such a technology responsibly look like for the African continent?

These are some of the questions that were explored during the recent UP – Meta AI Policy Dialogue that was held at the University of Pretoria’s Javett Art Centre at the Hatfield Campus. The policy dialogue brought together leaders and practitioners from the higher education, government and private sectors who explored the use of AI under the theme: “Responsible AI: Current Realities and Future Possibilities for Africa.”

“One of the things we foster at the University of Pretoria is what we call trans-disciplinary work because the world’s problems are not an engineering problem or a computer science problem or a law problem. They encompass different facets and we try and bring all facets to work on challenges and opportunities,” said Professor Sunil Maharaj, Vice-Principal: Research at UP.

“I hope that through this dialogue we’ll have today, we’ll develop actionable and context-specific recommendations and contribute to the development and governance of AI in South Africa and more broadly, in Africa,” he said.

Prof Maharaj added that the dialogue can also “offer guidance to inform the actions and decisions of AI developers, researchers, funders, and policy makers and of course, how we teach and learn going into the future.”

Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Buti Manamela, who delivered the keynote address at the dialogue said: “As a continent, we have immense diversity of potential and are standing on the cusp of a technological renaissance. The possibilities for artificial intelligence in Africa today are vast and diverse.”

Manamela said in order for the continent to fully tap into the potential offered by AI it needs to address challenges such as access to technology, infrastructure, data privacy, security concerns and skills development.

“We have to, probably under the African Union, consolidate our discussions as governments so that we have a clearer African agenda in terms of the use and deployment of artificial intelligence,” Deputy Minister Manamela said.

“AI is not just a buzzword,” he added. “It’s a tool that can be used to leverage some of our most pressing challenges from predictive analysis in healthcare, improving patient outcomes and managing diseases, to AI- driven agricultural technologies that promise higher yields for farmers. 

“We’re also seeing artificial intelligence transform the educational sector by personalising the learning experience and making education accessible to all, regardless of geographical location.”

Dr Chijioke Okorie, the founder and leader of UP’s Data Science Law Lab, emphasised the importance of context-specific solutions when developing AI solutions for the African continent.

“Within the AI policy space for the continent of Africa we know what to do, and what we need to do is focus on our context and our realities and use them to inform how to do AI policy research and how to devise policy implementation strategies,” she said.

Dr Okorie pointed out that even within the continent “there are comparable and similar experiences – but the engagement and impact of those similar experiences differ across the board, and so we must be nuanced and contextual in our approach in dealing with this”.

Sir Nick Clegg, the President of Global Affairs at Meta said events such the policy dialogue are important because being clear about what generative AI does and doesn’t do allows society to marry innovation and responsibility with the right blend.

“Transparency and openness are two foundational principles for us when it comes to innovating responsibly,” he said.

“I think it’s important to remember that this technology, far from disempowering people, will play a really vital role in empowering people. It isn’t realistic to imagine that very soon, every single person in this room will have an online AI assistant equal to the very best executive assistants found in corporate life. The degree of personalised help that can be given to people, I think, should lead to an immense democratisation of power.”

Clegg said the value exchange of AI is immensely beneficial for people.

“It’s not just a one-way street where your data is being sucked into some impenetrable machine and you get nothing out of it. We will all get a lot out of this and we can already see the beneficial applications of the technology in education, health, agriculture and in raising productivity across the economy.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

Sports Writer

The Baby Spar South Africa netball team scored impressive wins over Tanzania and Zambia on Day 1 of the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 Qualifiers Africa, which played at the University of Pretoria’s Rembrandt Hall from 18 – 23 March 2024.

The SA U21 team is eyeing qualification for the Netball Youth World Cup in Gibraltar later this year. The recently announced squad is in the hands of newly-appointed Head Coach Precious Mthembu, together with Phumza Maweni, for the duo’s first assignment on the international stage.

South Africa last played at the Netball World Youth Cup some eight years ago, and this is an opportunity for them to return next September in Gibraltar. The Baby Proteas opened the first match day with an encounter against Tanzania.

The team was playing for the first time together today since they were assembled – the hosts were very quick to send a clear message to their opponents as soon as the whistle went off. The Baby Proteas restricted Tanzania to only scoring seven goals over an entire match while they put 75 past them.

The win for South Africa for the host was a great confidence booster ahead of their second match of the match against Zambia to close off the first day of play, and with many excellent choices on offer, the difficult choice of who would be unveiled as the match’s MVP was decided when Sanmarie Visser was voted Player of the Match.

The second match of the day was a battle between Kenya and Zimbabwe, with both teams seeking to secure their seat at next year’s Netball World Youth Cup. Unlike the first match, this was a bit more competitive, with both teams going at each other, with Zimbabwe coming up tops to win their first match 49 – 39.

Malawi squared off against Namibia in the third match of the day. On the opening day, Malawi was the stronger side, thrashing their Namibian counterparts 43 – 28 for a comfortable win.

After the official opening ceremony of the tournament, attended by government dignitaries at the municipality and provincial levels, the final match of the day saw hosts South Africa take on Zambia in the day’s top-billing fixture. 

Coach Precious made a few changes to her starting seven to allow some players who did not play in the earlier fixture a starting run. The hosting team got out of the starting blocks very quickly to convert their chances as early as possible in the match.

Zambia was only allowed to open their scoring after four minutes—such was the home defence and discipline that kept Zambia at bay. At the end of the first quarter, South Africa had a lead of 23 – 4.

There was no letup in the second quarter. They had extended their lead to 35 to Zambia’s 7, and at the end of the match, it was the Baby Proteas that emerged victorious, winning the game 72 – 9.

SA’s Baby Spar Netball team shine

Sports Writer

The Baby Spar South Africa netball team scored impressive wins over Tanzania and Zambia on Day 1 of the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 Qualifiers Africa, which played at the University of Pretoria’s Rembrandt Hall from 18 – 23 March 2024.

The SA U21 team is eyeing qualification for the Netball Youth World Cup in Gibraltar later this year. The recently announced squad is in the hands of newly-appointed Head Coach Precious Mthembu, together with Phumza Maweni, for the duo’s first assignment on the international stage.

South Africa last played at the Netball World Youth Cup some eight years ago, and this is an opportunity for them to return next September in Gibraltar. The Baby Proteas opened the first match day with an encounter against Tanzania.

The team was playing for the first time together today since they were assembled – the hosts were very quick to send a clear message to their opponents as soon as the whistle went off. The Baby Proteas restricted Tanzania to only scoring seven goals over an entire match while they put 75 past them.

The win for South Africa for the host was a great confidence booster ahead of their second match of the match against Zambia to close off the first day of play, and with many excellent choices on offer, the difficult choice of who would be unveiled as the match’s MVP was decided when Sanmarie Visser was voted Player of the Match.

The second match of the day was a battle between Kenya and Zimbabwe, with both teams seeking to secure their seat at next year’s Netball World Youth Cup. Unlike the first match, this was a bit more competitive, with both teams going at each other, with Zimbabwe coming up tops to win their first match 49 – 39.

Malawi squared off against Namibia in the third match of the day. On the opening day, Malawi was the stronger side, thrashing their Namibian counterparts 43 – 28 for a comfortable win.

After the official opening ceremony of the tournament, attended by government dignitaries at the municipality and provincial levels, the final match of the day saw hosts South Africa take on Zambia in the day’s top-billing fixture.

Coach Precious made a few changes to her starting seven to allow some players who did not play in the earlier fixture a starting run. The hosting team got out of the starting blocks very quickly to convert their chances as early as possible in the match.

Zambia was only allowed to open their scoring after four minutes—such was the home defence and discipline that kept Zambia at bay. At the end of the first quarter, South Africa had a lead of 23 – 4.

There was no letup in the second quarter. They had extended their lead to 35 to Zambia’s 7, and at the end of the match, it was the Baby Proteas that emerged victorious, winning the game 72 – 9.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Johnathan Paoli

The Department of Higher Education and Training has officially announced its deregistration of several educational institutions owned by Educor, including Damelin College, City Varsity, Lyceum colleges and Icesa City Campus.

The closure of the popular institutions will have a huge impact on thousands of students who have already registered with them and now have to find alternative places to study.

The Department’s DG Nkosinathi Sishi confirmed on Monday that the institutions have been deregistered due to their failure to submit annual financial statements for the years 2021 and 2022, as well as their non-compliance with legal requirements.

The affected institutions are owned by Educor, which claims to be the largest providers of private tertiary instruction in the country, with many of its programs offered through distance learning.

Deregistered institutions are required legally to inform students within 14 days, provide academic transcripts, reimburse students unable to access education, and make arrangements for affected students to complete their programs at alternative institutions.

In 2022 the Department made known its intentions to deregister Educor Colleges for failing to submit their audited annual statement. It also said a year ago it would deregister some programmes at Damelin College.

However, Educor denied the Department’s assertions at the time.

Veli Mbele, the spokesperson for the Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande said the department had experienced significant problems with Educor Colleges and had received many complaints from students at Intec College and Damelin Correspondence College.

Lyceum was evicted from the campus in Woodmead late last year after allegedly owing more than R2 million to Adcorp.

Adcorp Group’s general counsel and company secretary Lisa Laporte said that Lyceum had continued to occupy the premises unlawfully until it left at the beginning of November, and Adcorp had requested the Department to investigate the matter.

“As of 10 August 2023, the sublease agreement between Adcorp and Lyceum was canceled pursuant to unremedied breach for non-payment by Lyceum of rental and other direct expenses,” Laporte said.

Mbele said in January this year the Council on Higher Education withdrew the accreditation of nine of Lyceum’s programmes; including diplomas in fleet managements; and higher certificates in credit management, financial management, fleet management, human resource management, marketing and sales management, public relations, small business management and supply chain management.

With regard to Damelin, a certificate issued by the Department on 12 December 2022 stated that the college may not market and have new intakes in a number of programmes pending the ruling of the high court on the withdrawal of accreditation for programmes including higher certificates in PC engineering, bachelor of commerce in information management and diplomas in financial accounting, HR, journalism and media studies.

The impact remains significant considering thousands of students will need to find alternative places to study, as the institutions mentioned will have no choice but to close by the end of the year.

INSIDE EDUCATION