THE Mpumalanga Department of Education is positive that Ubuhle Buzile E-Learning programme, which was launched in April by Premier, Refilwe Mtshweni Tsipane, is revolutionizing the delivery of teaching and learning within the province.

The launch event coincided with the delivery of 55000 tablets for Grade 12 learners and 6700 laptops for teachers in the quintiles 1 to 3 schools.

Speaking at that occasion, an elated Mtsweni-Tsipane said: “We are taking a giant leap in the educational field today, with Ubuhlebuzile secondary school, as the base to launch the e-Learning Programme. It gives me pleasure to be a part of this history-making moment, joining hands with the community of Mkhondo Municipality, as our provincial government is making this bold move.”

“This is evidence of our commitment in equipping the Grade 12 Class with the tools that will optimise their learning. There is more to these technological tools, that we are handing over today: They are the fruits that stem from the 4th industrial revolution era that we are in; They are catalysts of change that to thrust both learners and teachers into a digital age in which their
capacity will be elevated to national standards.”

The gadgets will optimise the quality of learning across the province and through this initiative.

“We will move a step closer to attaining the ideals of the Strategic Framework for Schooling 2030, Mpumalanga Vision 2030, The African Union: Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provide quality, effective and non-colonial education to the children of our beautiful Province,” said Mtsweni-Tsipane.

“We are a first step towards the realisation of our vision to ensure a “One Tablet-One Learner” for the
benefit of our children.”

These sentiments were confirmed by Sibongile Irene Gondwe, Principal of Sitintile Secondary School, who lauded E-Learning being introduced at her school from January 2022.

“As a school, we’re under the Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy aligned schools whereby, e-Learning assists a lot,” Gondwe said.

Gondwe said that since the tablets were introduced to the learners after a two-year Covid-19 pandemic challenge, they are certain that they will make it at the end of the year because of the progressive support considering that learners are able to access all information whether they are at school, in the bus or car and at home.

“A learning environment has been created for them around the clock. We are definitely going to improve our pass rate since we’ve got these gadgets which are assisting teaching and learning at school and other social spaces. Learners are also able to download past examination question papers to acquaint themselves with how to approach their examinations at all costs,” Gondwe said.

“I must say there’s open communication between learners and educators through this system as WhatsApp messages are exchanged between learners and the educators at all times. So, we don’t have a huge problem in terms of communication. We will definitely improve our pass mark from last year’s 69% to 85% because we have put all strategies in place to ensure we succeed.”

The principal said that there are many strategies in place that have profiled the learners according to their abilities.

“We have streamlined them and have provided questionnaires to determine their abilities. The top learners will also be pushed to leverage up to Level 7 and go higher still. The learners on the border line will be provided the easy to answer questions, will be pushed from Level one to three, hence we’re confident of attaining our 85% and above, we will obtain it at the end of this academic year,” said Gondwe.

She asserted further that since the e-Learning was introduced and the gadgets distributed among the learners, learners are able to interact with their teachers and among themselves, too.

“They are able to, through WhatsApp, ask questions on things they require explanation. That is why I’ve said we’re gunning for 85% pass mark this year because there’s just a hive of activity between the teachers and learners. Above that, data is there and at school we’re controlling its usage in a good manner. We ensure that learners don’t come with their own gadgets, or cards, but stick to the ones supplied to them, hence this academic year, we’re going to receive good results, a thing that is very motivational, indeed,” she ended.

Thembeka Secondary School Principal, Mlungisi Khoza, said they are very excited about the E-Learning gadgets.

“As principals, I must confess that we were very excited because we foresaw that they would contribute a lot in enhancing learning and teaching at our schools. These tablets will go a long way in assisting learners in terms of resourcefulness. They replace the textbooks which would be lacking due to retrieval challenges, now the gadgets are closing that gap,” Khoza said.

“We did experience teething problems as this was something new for our schools. The learners got excited as some abused these gadgets by not using the available data the right way. It’s ensuring that the data provided is adequately used for learning and research purposes, including communicating with educators through WhatsApp and also communicating with their peers, discussing
and advising each other on subject matters. All subjects are covered on the system.”

A learner from Thembeka Secondary school, Njabulo Chauke, said: “When they were first introduced to us, we saw them as befitting to help us cover up for learning lost due to Covid-19. We found it to be packed up with a lot of learning material and study guides that came in handy for us to really get down to studying hard.”

“On the other hand, this system has come in handy because in the past, we used to experience lack of textbooks, but now we have all textbooks in our gadgets. I’m doing seven subjects which is Physical Science, Mathematics, Life Sciences, English, Life Orientation, among others,” Chauke said.

Nhlanhla Madonsela, a learner from Sitintile High School, said: “The tablets have come in very handy for me and I’ve been embroiled in all its activities they have really assisted me a lot. We are able to browse the internet. It has enhanced my learning abilities as it provides textbooks which are more useful study guides. I improved my pass mark for Mathematics, for instance, from 43 to 76%. I’m optimistic that our school will attain a 100% pass rate this year because of the wealth of study material available in these tablets,” she stated.

INSIDE EDUCATION

WITHIN a three-month period, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has reported more than 65 cases of violence at schools. In an effort to reduce this, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has implemented certain safety measures.

From 1 April 2022 to 30 June 2022, the South African Police Service (SAPS) reported 58 rape cases and 15 murders committed on school premises. These cases of violence at schools have made learning environments unsafe and reduced the quality of education.

Learners affected by these acts of violence may tend to avoid school,  participate less in class, or even drop out of school because they don’t feel safe in the environment. Statistics have shown that exposure to violence increases the levels of anxiety, depression and psychological stress in learners, educators and support staff.

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) does a quarterly district monitoring exercise on all Safety in Education, Sport and Enrichment in Education, and Social Cohesion and Equity in Education programmes.

This monitoring exercise is reported in the Annual Performance Plan (APP), Indicator 5.1.3: Number of districts monitored in the implementation of the National School Safety Framework (NSSF), Social Cohesion, Sport and Enrichment Programmes. 

According to the DBE, the NSSF continues to stay their primary response to violence at schools. The framework coordinates and consolidates all school safety interventions in the sector. 

The NSSF depends on collaboration and partnerships to ensure a coordinated approach to responding to school violence. The framework ensures the following:

• All schools have active school safety committees and school safety plans.
• School perimeters are secured (fenced) and access controls (guard and/or surveillance) are in place and managed.
• School codes of conduct are aligned with the Constitution of South Africa and child-protection legislation and are communicated and adopted/ agreed to by all school stakeholders.
• Corporal punishment is prohibited by law and alternative forms of discipline are enforced in all schools.
• Schools have systems in place to report violent incidences and criminal behaviour at a local police station, to district and provincial office bearers, and the South African Council for Educators (SACE).
• Schools have established relationships with their intergovernmental counterparts, which include the Departments of Social Development, and Health and Justice.

With regards to safety measures at schools, infrastructure plans are informed by the Audit of the Districts’ school fencing coverage which highlights the schools which need to be prioritised. Building relationships with intergovernmental counterparts are also very important to ensure services such as counselling, medical examinations and access to justice are in place.

For the 2022/23 period, the DBE is monitoring the implementation of the NSSF in 75 districts of the country. This includes monitoring how School Safety Committees are run.

According to the DBE, all provinces and districts have been committed to providing training to all schools to ensure that all School Safety Committees are well trained. Training includes school educators and support staff.

Careersportal

ANGELA VORSTER|

Twenty-three people will die from suicide today in South Africa. Another 460 South Africans will try to end their lives today. They are from different cultural groups, different income groups, attained different levels of education, speak different languages, range in age from childhood through to elderly, have different genders and sexual orientations. These people have very little in common except that their lives all ended due to the final symptom of an illness. People who experience thoughts of ending their lives describe this mental space as feeling grey.

Their thoughts tend to keep returning to the futility of being alive, what a burden they are to those around them, how nothing will ever get better and that nobody can help them. They tend to experience feelings of worthlessness, self-hatred, guilt, hopelessness, immense sadness and despair. Their suffering and emotional pain are excruciating. Nothing is enjoyable anymore. There is nothing to look forward to.

Everything is difficult, boring, scary or meaningless. Inwardly they are drowning. But very often they smile, do their job and pass their exams, go on dates and vacations, make plans for the weekend and check up on their loved ones. They look happy in their photos. And when someone asks them if they are okay they say yes. Because they don’t feel like they deserve to feel better. They don’t want to be a bother. They might not call a helpline or make an appointment to see a psychologist or go to their GP for anti-depressants.

Because they just don’t have the energy. It’s exhausting pretending to be fine all day. The one thought that brings relief is that they can end this pain. And one day they do. And their colleagues, friends and family are left reeling with shock and disbelief. How could this have happened? How could they have missed the signs? What should they have done differently to prevent this? 

The causes are as complex and varied

This is the purpose of World Suicide Prevention Day which takes place internationally each year on 10 September and through which the International Association for Suicide Prevention endeavours to increase awareness of suicidality, as well as to fight the stigma associated with suicide. Wanting to die can occur along with many other symptoms and disorders including, but not limited to, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, personality disorders and substance dependence or abuse disorders. The causes are as complex and varied as the manner in which suicidality may present.

It is dangerous to regard only certain signs and symptoms as indicative of suicide risk, because we know that suicide can be extremely unpredictable. There is no way to tell if someone is a suicide risk based purely on their behaviour. However there are certain factors which may indicate an increased risk for self-harm. These include, but are not limited to, having previously tried to end their life, having a psychiatric illness, being seriously ill or having chronic pain or the misuse of substances. Experiencing legal, relationship, financial or academic stressors may increase suicide risk, as well as having access to lethal means to end their life along with being unable to access mental health care. 

So what can you do if you think someone may be at risk of self-harm? Say something. Talk to them. Tell them what you are worried about and give them the space to express how they feel without judgment or condemnation. Reach out to their support system and share your concerns with them. Encourage the suicidal person to make contact with a health care professional – this can be a psychologist, GP, psychiatrist, social worker, psychiatric nurse, counsellor or a suicide prevention help line. Other important members of our community who provide a great deal of assistance to suicidal people and their families include religious and spiritual leaders, teachers, support groups and employee assistance programmes.

There are actually so many ways and places to receive health care and support; however the most significant barrier to making use of these resources is sustained by the stigma associated with suicide and mental illness. In our culture of toxic positivity where our photos are touched up, our statuses updated and our successes plastered on various social media platforms, the authentic act of acknowledging when we feel defeated, unhappy or like a failure has become a rarity. The more real, honest and vulnerable we can be about our ‘undesirable’ emotions and experiences, the more space we create for those around us to do the same. When we normalise not being okay at all times, we give ourselves and others permission to speak up when we need help. And this is our greatest weapon against suicide – authentic connection.

What suicide is not

We’ve explored what it may feel like to be suicidal, now let’s focus on what suicide is not. Suicide is not a moral failing. It is not because the person was weak or selfish, it is not because their family was dysfunctional or their faith not strong enough. Suicide is the final symptom of mental illness – and every single person is vulnerable to experiencing suicidal thoughts. Each one of us will be affected by suicide during the duration of our lives, either directly or indirectly. This is irrespective of how successful you are, how supportive your family is or how strong your religious convictions are. Dying by suicide is not a shame. It is not a failure. It is no different to a patient dying from any other disease. And just like any other illness there are symptoms we can look out for and treatments and medications that can assist in recovery. 

Please think before you speak about someone who died due to suicide. I guarantee that at least one person in the conversation has suffered the pain of losing someone in this way. But you probably wouldn’t even know, because stigma silences. Stigma disconnects and alienates those who need support the most. Our words have the power to shame and silence, or to empower and encourage connection, which is lifesaving.

Treat each conversation as though there may be someone present who is having suicidal thoughts or is working through the loss of someone they love due to suicide. Often we want to reach out and support families affected by suicide, but don’t because we are afraid of offending, or upsetting or because we ourselves are so uncomfortable with mental illness. But all these survivors of suicide need from you is your calm, empathetic, kind presence, a safe space to express difficult and messy emotions. Without being blamed or shunned or shamed. Support suicide survivors as though a terrible illness took the life of their loved-one. Because that is exactly what happened. 

On 10 September this year I encourage you to light a candle and place it in your windowsill around 8pm wherever you are. This is in remembrance of those lost to mental illness and to show your support to those they left behind. In the words of the International Association of Suicide Prevention: “By encouraging understanding, reaching in and sharing experiences, we want to give people the confidence to take action. To prevent suicide requires us to become a beacon of light to those in pain. You can be the light.”

• If you or someone you know is at risk of self-harm please take a look at these websites and call the SADAG suicide emergency helpline.

Opinion article by Angela Vorster, Clinical Psychologist at the School for Clinical Medicine, University of the Free State.

SOUTH Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope array has chalked up yet another astronomical first. A team of South African and international astronomers has used MeerKAT to, for the first time, measure the neutral hydrogen gas (which is the material that forms and fuels stars) around galaxies as they were four-billion years ago. (Or, in other words, galaxies that lie four billion light years from Earth.) Neutral hydrogen gas is the most abundant material in the universe.

“For the first time, the team were able to measure the hydrogen gas for galaxies of different sizes and star formation activity to determine how the fuel content relates to other observable properties of galaxies four-billion years in the past,” highlighted University of Cape Town eResearch rirector Professor Mattia Vaccari.

“These were compared to galaxies in the present day.”

And the results of the comparison surprised the astronomers. They had expected that galaxies four-billion years ago would have more neutral hydrogen gas in and around them than younger, closer galaxies would have. This was because it was thought that a lot of the neutral hydrogen gas would be consumed by the processes of star formation. What they discovered was that these older, more remote galaxies had similar amounts of the gas to younger, closer galaxies. This, in turn, signals that galaxies can and do replenish their ‘reservoirs’ of neutral hydrogen gas.

“We were thrilled to exploit the potential of MeerKAT to improve our understanding of the cold gas in distant galaxies,” said study lead author and University of Padova (Italy) PhD candidate Francesco Sinigaglia. “We believe this study represents a strong step forward in the field, as it delivers new pieces of information on hydrogen in galaxies, never obtained before.”

his research was only possible because of the existence of MeerKAT and used radio wavelength data from the MeerKAT International GigaHertz Tiered Extragalactic Exploration (MIGHTEE) project (an international large astronomical survey), supplemented by data from optical telescopes. The data was processed by South Africa’s Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA).

“The data taught us a lot about the processing challenges involved and was an important testbed for coordinating science projects,” affirmed IDIA associate director for astronomy computing and MIGHTEE-Neutral Hydrogen co-chair Dr Bradley Frank. “Francesco’s science result is the perfect validation for our processing strategy and teamwork, providing an exciting glimpse of the future of MIGHTEE.”

Other members of the research team included Sinigaglia’s PhD supervisor, University of Padova Associate Professor Giulia Rodighiero, and University of Western Cape astronomer Dr Ed Elson. “This is wonderful fundamental science, made possible by South Africa building the most powerful telescope of its kind in the world, thereby attracting international collaboration with South Africans at the very top level,” emphasised South African Radio Astronomy Observatory MD Dr Rob Adam.

Engineering News

CHARLES MOLELE

THE Sasol Solar Challenge, now in its 14th year, is proving critics wrong; a solar-powered car can actually make for a good road-trip vehicle, despite all their caveats.

The eight-day Sasol Solar Challenge road-trip started with much fanfare at the Carnival City Casino, east of Johannesburg, with event officials, sponsors and VIP guests, including the Belgium and Dutch embassy officials, who gathered at the venue to wish the teams good luck at the starting line.

According to Robert Walker, owner and Director of the Sasol Solar Challenge, the eight solar car teams in competition are set to drive across five provinces from Johannesburg to Cape Town, demonstrating the power of the sun and showcasing their engineering skills in 18 towns – including, among others, Sasolburg, Kroonstad, Winburg, Gariep Dam and the small town of Graaff Reinet, also known as the ‘Gem of the Karoo’.

The roads on the journey are expected to include meandering mountains, backroads through quaint small towns, arrow-straight highways and big-city traffic.

Day one of the Sasol Solar Challenge started in Brakpan, through Sasolburg and finished in Kroonstad.

With 569.8 km, the Brunel Solar Team from Belgium secured the top spot after the first day of the event while Agoria took second place with an official 470.2 km.

TUT took third position with an incredible 420.4 km for the day.

Earlier in the week, the solar car teams participating in this year’s Sasol Solar Challenge successfully completed the scrutineering process conducted in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), as well as with the help of 12 volunteers from across the world.

Day one of the Sasol Solar Challenge also incorporated a schools programme, which took place in Sasolburg, during the first control stop of the event.

The programme was attended by roughly 800 learners from different schools in the area.

Learners took turns in three stations at the venue to learn about solar technology, e-mobility and robotics in real-life.

“Our vision is to educate and train young children and teachers in programming, electronic and robotic skills by getting them to play with technology. In doing so, the child overcomes his/her fear of technology, kindles an interest in creating something to play with and develops the foundational building blocks in coding and robotics,” said Floris Niehaus, CEO at Microbotics said.

“Microbotics aims to simplify STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational and make it interesting to young people. Our vision is to educate and train young people and teachers in programming, electronic and robotic skills by getting them to play with technology. We are grateful to the Sasol Solar Challenge for this opportunity to come here and engage with the school learners and through our demos, show them how different STEM and energy concepts work.”

Among other schools that attended the schools programme was the Lehutso Primary School in Sasolburg.

The school principal said he was pleased to see the learners participate in initiatives that inspire them to pursue STEM education.

“We are grateful to the Sasol Solar Challenge for organising the schools programme. Our learners have started working on energy solutions to address challenges that are faced by the community and the school itself. Their participation in this programme motivates and inspires them to develop even bigger energy and STEM solutions, and hopefully a solar car, which can compete in the Sasol Solar Challenge,” said Mpho Mofokeng, a school principal at Lehutso Primary School.

INSIDE EDUCATION

GILLIAN ANSTEY|

AROUND 900 people attended the three online public webinars presented last week to clarify the new Draft Policy for the Recognition of South African Higher Education Institutional Types. The online engagements were led by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) in collaboration with Universities South Africa (USAf).

Each webinar comprised a presentation by Mr Mahlubi Chief Mabizela, Chief Director responsible for Higher Education Policy and Research Support in the DHET, and a discussion session. The first webinar was for private higher education institutions, the second for public ones, and the third for the general public, a grouping which still attracted way over 100 participants.

These were the right platforms for questions

Mabizela asked the online participants to use the webinars — rather than their written submissions to the department — as an opportunity to ask questions. “Because when you are submitting, you are projecting your views, you are stating what you think. And if you ask questions in your submission, we are not going to be able to answer them,” he said. Otherwise, there was no specified format for submissions. Comments on the draft policy may be submitted until 8 September 2022, as the Government Gazette was published on 8 August 2022.

He said his presentation at the webinars was designed purely to explain the content of the policy and not to change or influence any ideas. He pointed out that the list of annexures at the end of the draft policy indicated various forms still being developed. The number of annexures might increase, but any such changes would not affect the policy itself. This article, therefore, supplements a previous one titled The Draft Policy for the Recognition of South African Higher Education Institutional Types is not as disruptive as some perceive it to be.

“Every input or comment is important. We, therefore, request you to make comments as clearly as possible and not leave them ambiguous.” He also invited the audience to suggest elements of interest that were not yet covered in the draft policy.

Dr Linda Meyer, USAf’s Director: Operations and Sector Support, assured the audience that the Draft Policy for the Recognition of South African Higher Education Institutional Types was a process. She said the DHET had been very open about inclusions that needed to be made, hence this rigorous engagement for information sharing and “to get particular questions that they can respond to.”

The process after 8 September 2022

First, the department would revise the draft based on the public comments. The policy had generated so much attention that they expected many submissions and could not anticipate how long this revision would take. They would then submit this public input to the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation for the SEIAS process, a Social-Economic Impact Assessment. The policy had already undergone the initial assessment during the drafting process. This final SEIAS process could involve some to-ing and fro-ing to ensure the policy had no negative impacts. Then either during this process or on its completion, the Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has a mandatory consultation with the Council on Higher Education (CHE), which might decide to appoint a committee of some sort to analyse the policy further or even call for submissions from the DHET or others.

“I am trying to illustrate that there may be another consultation process. Given this policy’s attention, it is possible that it may be submitted to Cabinet before it goes out for publication. That will be the Minister’s decision,” said Mabizela.

The target deadline is before April 2023

The DHET wants the policy to be finalised by April next year. One of the reasons was that “public nursing colleges have been knocking at our door wanting to be classified as one of the types of higher education institutions.” Mabizela explained that these colleges currently fall under the Department of Health, not DHET, and that some are already offering Bachelor’s degrees in collaboration with universities. However, they cannot be recognised as higher education providers without a “type” of an institution to fall under – a transition which requires specific legal compliances.

The DHET had already published in a Gazette in 2019, that nursing colleges could offer Bachelor’s degrees from January 2020. A joint technical team had been established between the two government departments to facilitate the outstanding legal, administrative and technical processes to declare them higher education colleges. According to the draft policy, this type of institution focuses on undergraduate and skills development programmes.

A similar process with the DHET’s joint technical team had been established for public agricultural colleges. The National Working Group on Institutional Mergers had already identified a need for this as far back as 2003, at the inception of the higher education mergers.

Higher education colleges and research

Mabizela said the DHET had already received questions about why higher education colleges — one of the new types of institutions in the draft policy — were not allowed to do research. He said while these institutions could do research, it was not part of their mandate. “In public institutions, research is subsidised,” he said. Higher education colleges would not be subsidised for carrying out research, given that it is not part of their requirements. “However, they are still welcome to do research.”

The aim is to create synergy between types of higher education institutions

Mabizela said one of the aims of the new draft policy was to create channels of movement of students from one type of institution to another — a process known as articulation. So, a student could start at a higher education college and finish at a university. “That way, we are also trying to expand access and make the curriculum accessible to students, to promote the development of a flexible learning system progressively encompassing the entire sector,” he said.

The policy is not about downgrading institutions

He said the media had focused on the policy as a means of downgrading institutions from one type to another. Still, there was no evidence or insinuation of this in the policy. “That is not to say it is impossible,” said Mabizela.

But the policy had not created the possibility of this. He said Section 65AB of the Higher Education Act of 1997 states that the Minister may, at the request of the Council of the institution concerned, and after consultation with the CHE, and by notice in the Government Gazette, amend or remove any restrictions on the scope and operations of a higher education institution.

“So, the Minister can close a public higher education institution now. It has always been there, since 1997,” he said.

“If you want to look at it in terms of a downgrade, yes, it allows for that, but it is also possible to change from a higher education college to a university college and from a university college to a university. So, it cuts both ways.

“This policy is not introducing anything new other than higher education colleges (which have a relatively limited range and scope) and university colleges (which are universities in the making). Nothing else,” he said.

Mr Mabizela commented on the high attendance numbers and the delegates’ active engagement. He extended his gratitude to USAf for organising these events.

USAF

SOUTH Africa faces a serious reading challenge as a study suggests that quite a large amount of South African learners in primary school are unable to read to understand.

In the 2016 Progress In International Reading Literacy (PIRLS) study which tested reading comprehension of learners who were in their fourth year of primary schooling, South Africa ranked last out of the 50 countries that participated.

The study also found that 78 percent of South African learners in primary school are unable comprehend and understand what they are reading.

Many have expressed some of the aspects that have contributed to the heightened figures are limited access to books and that South Africa needs to cultivate a stronger culture for books and reading.

To tackle the crisis, the Department Of Basic Education (DBE) launched the One Million Storybooks Project which is aimed at improving the reading culture in South Africa.

The project is aimed to take it beyond just the technical aspects of enabling learners to read and read for meaning, but to make further advancements on the culture of reading in the country. 

National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) CEO Godwin Khoza explained that the project is a continuation of other initiatives that are aimed at contributing towards reversing terrible effects of low-level reading in schools and communities.

“During Covid together with the DBE we set off to develop 189 titles for young readers in African languages and those have been processed into a million books that we are busy delivering to kids in schools.“

Khoza says that the role of NECT is to connect with partners who wish to put more reading resources into schools and that it has partnered with several organisations such as Nal’ibali and Room To Read to distribute books to schools and communities.

NECT is exploring various ways to distribute reading materials, including compressing over 2000 storybooks into WhatsApp packages that could be shared on the platform making it easier for people to access, he adds.

It is also crucial that accelerated efforts are made to equip teachers with the necessary tools and resources for their task of teaching children to read. 

“Teachers are at the forefront of teaching children the technical aspects of reading, and although some teachers are doing it very well, there are others that need support”

Khoza says that in partnership with the DBE, they have taken about 110 000 teachers and school managers through a programme called the Primary School Reading Improvement Programme which is aimed at teaching the more technical aspects of how they should teach learners how to read.

Careersportal

GAUTENG Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has officially launched the Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sports School of Specialisation with a focus on Sports and Sports Science in Laudium on Tuesday morning.

Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sport School is a fully functional Sports School that has proficiency in Chess, Tennis, Soccer, Netball, Aerobics, Athletics, Swimming, Basketball and Gymnastics.

The boarding school aims to nurture sports talent.

“We want to create sports stars of the future at this school and hope they will do us proud,” said Lesufi.

“We encourage all parents who want to see their children represent this country on the world stage to come to this school to give them the best possible platform.”

Various South African sporting stars were present at the school’s opening, including former Bafana Bafana, Mamelodi Sundowns and Al-Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane.

“My talent was spotted when I was playing soccer at my school, so I know how important a platform it can be,” Mosimane said.

“It’s safe to say that without the school, I would never have made it at the highest level, and my life would not be the same. But at the same time my parents encouraged me to stay at school so that I could support myself after my career, so education was just as important. After my career in football ended, I went to university and completed my degree in sports science.”

The school was named after Modiba, a pioneer as a black African woman athlete who competed in multi-racial championships in 1976.

She made history by becoming the first black South African woman athlete to win a gold medal, in the 1500m, during the multi-racial provincial championships at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria in March 1977.

STAFF REPORTER|

DESPITE the progressive legislation that allows for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community to be protected, homophobia still persists, especially in schools. This affects the mental health and livelihood of queer learners. 

On paper, South Africa is incredibly progressive when it comes to protecting the rights of the queer community. 

In May 1996, South Africa became the first jurisdiction in the world to provide constitutional protection to LGBTQ+ people, stipulated in the South African Constitution, which condemns discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation and other grounds.

Although our Constitution may not practice discrimination, it is still quite common amongst individuals who haven’t outgrown internalised homophobia. 

South African schools have seen persistent bullying and harassment aimed at queer learners, due to homophobia from fellow classmates and even teachers. 

The Legal Resources Centre (LRC) recently published a report titled “Barriers to Accessing Education for LGBTQIA+ Learners”, documenting the stories of queer learners and the challenges they face in schools. 

An attorney from the LRC, Muyenga Mugerwa-Sekawabe, discusses the reasoning and experiences which have lead to a number of LGBTQ+ learners taking their own lives due to persistent homophobia. 

“Queer learners [are] faced with bullying, both from staff members who are meant to have their best interests at heart, but also from fellow classmates as well. There’s also issues around school uniform being admitted to single-sex schools for transgender learners; further challenges transgender learners face in relation to sports (which has been a bit of a controversial issue) as well bathroom use,” says Mugerwa-Sekawabe. 

Based on their sexual orientation and gender non-conformity or gender identity, queer learners are more vulnerable to bullying as compared to their non-queer, heterosexual or cis-gendered peers, reads one research report. 

Teachers can also be responsible for the homophobia suffered by queer learners, while some face discrimination because of their own queer identities. 

In March 2017, a high school principle forced lesbian learners to come out to their parents, by sending them home with letters revealing their sexual orientation. The principle told critics it was nobody’s business how she chose to deal with “problems” at the school. 

Mugerwa-Sekawabe says while policies mandate that LGBTQ+ learners have certain rights, Department of Basic Education officials, at whatever level, who are homophobic can cause the most damage to queer learners.

“If those Department of Basic Education officials, at whatever level they are, were to have homophobic, prejudicial, queerphobic views, then it doesn’t really matter what the policy says, because those are the people in charge of schools.” 

The act of outing someone (disclosing an LGBT person’s sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent) can be detrimental because it is a violation of their privacy, and is a personal process.

It can be a difficult time for someone because of discrimination, homophobia, or potential marginalization from their families and their community at large, reads another report, and has even been linked to self-inflicted deaths. 

Homophobia in schools is also one of the reasons learners may drop out entirely. 

“Bullying leads to absenteeism in schools, it leads to people dropping out of schools and it’s definitely a major challenge which needs to be taken on. Even those learners who don’t drop out of school may face other psychological or mental trauma and issues, which may take a few years, [even] decades after they leave high school to finally grapple with,” explains Mugerwa-Sekawabe. 

If you or anyone you know is part of the LGBTQ+ community and is need of help, please contact the following resources: 

1. OUT: 012 430 3272
2. PFLAG South Africa/Same Love Toti: 082 654 8635
3. The Gay and Lesbian Network (GLN): 033 342 6165.
4. The Pride Shelter: 021 423 2871. 
5. Sonke Gender Justice: 021 423 7088 / 011 339 3589.
6. The Triangle Project: 021 712 6699. 

In an emergency please call LifeLine’s 24 Hour Counselling Line on 011 422 4242 / 0861 322 322 or the South African Depression and Anxiety Group’s (SADAG) Suicide Crisis Line on 0800 567 567. 

Careersportal