THE Makhanda High Court in the Eastern Cape has ordered the Eastern Cape Basic Education Department to deliver textbooks and stationery to all public schools in the province by March 31.

On Tuesday, Judge Murray Lowe handed down the matter.

This comes after the court rules in favour of the Non-Profit Organisation, Khula Development, in an urgent application to force the Department to provide textbooks and stationery to schools before the end of this month.

The Department said that the delay was caused by late payment to suppliers.

The department wanted to be given till the end of April for the delivery of textbooks to schools.

Attorney, Cecile van Schalkwyk from the Legal Resource Centre was heading the matter and representing Khula Development Forum.

The judge further added that the provincial department of education must submit affidavit before 30 September 2022 to show progress in planning to make sure that learners have textbooks in 2023.

“Every learner at every school in the Eastern Cape must be provided with the full complement of stationery and textbooks prior to the commencement of the 2023 schooling year,” the judge said.

The department indicated that they will only be able to deliver textbooks by end of April 2022.  LSR Senior Council Advocate Ngcukaitobi SC argued that this is not good enough, learners need textbooks immediately.

-Inside Education

STAFF REPORTER |

In a bid to give answers to the family of a Grade 10 learner who died at Tsakane Secondary School in the East Rand, the Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says an independent investigative law firm will be appointed to investigate circumstances surrounding the incident.

The move is also to help the family to find closure to the unforseen death of their child.

It is alleged that the deceased was assaulted by a teacher and a General Assistance at the school last week, and subsequently passed away.

Prior to his death, the learner had allegedly gone to school to collect his bag and cellphone which were confiscated last Thursday.

Subsequently, he was removed from the school premises by police and taken home after being involved in a scuffle with an educator and a General Assistant at the school.

Accordingly, his family later drove him to Pholosong Hospital where he was certified dead.

Lesufi said he wants to prioritise the family because they want answers concerning the death of their child. Thus, an independent law firm will be will appointed to investigate the matter.

“The appointment of the independent law firm will give us a preliminary report to share with the family and the school. I want to prioritise the family because they want answers,” said MEC Lesufi.

VICKY ABRAHAM |

MOST of the temporary teachers in the Gauteng province who were not paid their remuneration have been paid. This is according to the Gauteng Department of Education and the trade union for teachers’, Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysers Unie (SAOU).

Responding to Inside Education’s media enquiry, the Gauteng Department of Education’s spokesperson, Steve Mabona said, “The major delay in payments has been largely because of the deactivation of the PERSAL system (payment system) that has been interrupted by the tax recalculation period from 16 February 2022 (based on tax year closure). As a result, all payments that were scheduled for the 21st, 25th and 28th February 2022 were affected”. 

Speaking to Inside Education, the Acting Provincial Secretary of SAOU in Gauteng Liesl Rehbock said, “Most of the educators have been paid. But we are still following up with our members. I do not know about other unions. I can only speak on behalf of our members. I can’t say why they were not paid”.

In its attempt to assist the unpaid temporary educators, SAOU in Gauteng which is also known as the South African Teachers’ Union had distributed a message to schools to provide it with relevant details of the affected individuals. 

“The SAOU (Gauteng) is aware that all temporary educators have not yet received remuneration. Could you please provide us with a list of names of temporary staff in your school who have not yet received payment to enable us to refer a dispute.

To assist temporary educators please forward the relevant information to the SAOU before or on Wednesday, 23 February 2022,” said SAOU in a circulated message to different schools in Gauteng. 

Mabona, said the Department was aware of the non-payment of some of the temporary teachers in Gauteng. Mabona said the payments reflected in their bank accounts from March 7, 2022. 

– Inside Education

JEAN LEE FARMER |

In South Africa, the number of black women who acquire undergraduate degrees has increased more than any other population group. Yet they remain underrepresented in senior academic and management positions in the country’s higher education institutions.

Historically, black South African pupils received separate schooling and less funding  for education from the apartheid government than white pupils. Mixed-race, Indian and Asian learners received slightly more than black learners. Separate higher education institutions were also established for the different race groups. Very few black students could apply for special permission to attend historically white institutions, and only for specific careers.

Black women have also been historically and culturally marginalised in their families and society. Despite legislation to support transformation, black women remain the most marginalised.

Under apartheid, white women received the same financial, educational and cultural favour as white men. Policies and programmes initially aimed at changing the imbalance, have a major loophole for employment equity. It places white women on par with black women and men as “previously disadvantaged” and thus equally entitled to employment opportunities.

While the responsibility for redressing the issues should not be laid solely at the feet of higher education institutions, the onus should not rest upon black women to rectify the problematic practices.

For my PhD in higher education I did an in-depth investigation of the narratives of six black women academics at four South African higher education institutions. For the investigation to be as unbiased as possible, it was important to look at the role of the institutions as well as the individual and what possible enablers and constraints could be identified in this interplay. The aim was to identify what possibly influenced the low uptake of black women in senior positions in South Africa’s higher education institutions.

It was important to investigate the history of the institutions as well as to establish their post-apartheid transformation policies. The sense of identity, familial and educational connections the women developed during their educational journeys was an important factor. Black women are often seen as a homogeneous group but the academics in my study were as diverse in personality, cultural and political backgrounds and aspirations as any other group.

The research

For the pilot study I interviewed 19 respondents once in a group setting. I reported in-depth on six participants who were asked to respond in two one-hour sessions. One session was about their educational background and the other about their current academic context. I encouraged the participants to talk freely about their experiences.

The participants came from various backgrounds ranging from urban impoverished to middle-class. The 25 participants, ranging from 37 to 45 years old, were in either senior, mid or junior positions in academia.

All said that they loved working with their students irrespective of student race. Some said they experienced disrespect from some white students but that other white students made up for it. Those at historically white institutions said that student interaction was the best part of their job.

The main concern many of the women had about historically black institutions was that students were poor and often came to class hungry. Those teaching at these institutions said they appreciated interaction with colleagues and students alike.

All participants who had experience at both historically white and black institutions said that they had been happier while working at historically black institutions. They felt respected as equals and valued, also by their white counterparts. They felt satisfied that they had progressed in their careers in accordance with their efforts. They mentioned that they often socialised with their colleagues irrespective of race.

Interviewees in historically white institutions said that they constantly felt unheard in meetings, not complimented for efforts, overlooked for mentoring in favour of less experienced white men and women and sometimes black men. One academic said:

I noticed that I was being taught while white colleagues would be mentored.

They also said they felt left out of the social “cliques” formed among white colleagues. Those at historically white institutions felt that if they wanted to progress they would have to leave their current institution. They said they would leave for an opportunity at a historically black institution, or another career, even for less money.

The analogies that emerged from what the respondents told me were of constantly shifting goalposts and marble (rather than glass) ceilings – impenetrable and nontransparent. Black women at historically white institutions said they found it difficult to highlight problematic behaviour lest they sound like the “complaining victim”. And they often felt uninformed of the standard which allowed others to advance over them.

The fear of victimisation was persistent. During my interviews every academic from historically white institutions repeatedly asked to be assured of anonymity.

The study shows there’s silence around the need for a caring environment for all academics, especially black women.

Going forward

I suggest the following steps:

1. Institutions need ongoing investigations and open discussions about ways to attract more black women into academia.
2. Institutional management owes it to society to investigate whether their own culture excludes black women and makes them feel like impostors.
3. Government needs to amend legislation that views white women as disadvantaged to the same extent as black women; and white women should acknowledge the difference.
4. A women and race studies department should be standard at all institutions. Universities need to make sure the voices of black women are heard and recognise their role in transformation.
5. Mentoring of new black women academics should be standard practice. They should be encouraged to exercise agency and help change the culture.

Jean Lee Framer

Advisor: Higher Education Professional Development, Stellenbosch University.- The Conversation

STAFF REPORTER |

WHILE 10 South African students who were forced to flee their Ukrainian universities following Russia invaded the country last month have safely returned home, two are currently in isolation at Ukraine after testing positive for COVID-19.

This is all thanks to a partnership between the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and pharmaceutical company, Aspen Pharmacare, which managed to assist in returning 10 South African students from Ukraine on Thursday, last week.

DIRCO spokesperson Clayson Monyela said: “We want all South Africans to be back home, that’s our primary objective. With the students in particular, the number that we were working on was 25, that’s according to Aspen’s list. However, two has tested positive for
COVID-19 and they are in isolation and it will take 10 days.”

The students were forced to flee the Ukraine into neighbouring countries in the wake of the raging armed conflict.

The 10, who are studying across various universities in the Ukraine, arrived in the country on Thursday morning.

In a joint statement, Aspen and Dirco said that the students and other nationals crossed into neighbouring countries such as Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

“Most did not have the means to return home.”

“After learning of the plight of these students, Aspen Pharmacare joined forces with DIRCO to expedite both the travel arrangements and funding required to assist with their safe return to South Africa.  The first group of 10 students will arrive this morning, 10 March 2022, on an Air France Flight at OR Tambo International Airport,” said Aspen and DIRCO.

Aspen Group Senior Executive for Strategic Trade, Stavros Nicolaou, said the Ukraine conflict has created a significant humanitarian crisis, from which a number of South African students studying abroad in the Ukraine have been severely impacted.

“After the weekend appeal to our government and corporate South Africa from many of these students, Aspen, which has a presence in the Ukraine and neighbouring territories decided join forces with the South African government to ensure the timeous and safe return of these students to their home country, so that they can be united with their loved ones,” said Nicolaou.

Nicolaou added that students are the future and it is important that the spirit of Ubuntu
prevailed.

“Our students are our future, and it is important that the spirit of ubuntu prevailed and that together with our government, we were able to move swiftly to ensure their safe and timely return,” said Nicolaou.

Nicolaou said he is hopeful that the students will be able to resume their studies in the not-too-distant future. 

Monyela, has thanked Aspen for the partnership.

“We would like to thank Aspen Pharmacare for heeding the call of our government to partner with us and bring our citizens back home. We also want to extend a word of gratitude to all our ambassadors, team of diplomats and South African volunteers (at home and abroad), who played a role in this project. This is the diplomacy of ubuntu in practice,” he said.

• –Inside Education

JSE listed private university group STADIO has reported a strong set of results for the year ended December 2021, with growth in core earnings, more student enrolments, and declaring its maiden dividend to shareholders.

STADIO provides higher education programmes through its three owned private higher education institutions – STADIO Higher Education, AFDA and Milpark – offering both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes through contact, distance and blended learning methods.

The group said that core headline earnings increased by 27% to R149 million, with a 9% growth in student numbers. Core headlines earnings per share grew by 24% from 14.2 to 17.6 cents, with revenue up by 18% to R1.1 billion.

The overall growth in Core HEPS was due to the underlying organic growth in EBITDA, the group said, as well as realising certain cost savings from altering teaching and learning practices to serve students within the constraints of the Covid-19 imposed restrictions.

EBITDA grew by more than 100% to R309 million (2020: R46 million).

“The large increase in EBITDA is primarily due to organic growth in the underlying businesses and the material impact in the prior year of the R207 million fair value adjustment in respect of the CA Connect acquisition,” it said.

Enrolments at 31 December 2021 increased by 9% to 38,262 students (2020: 35,031). Over the same period, distance learning student enrolments grew by 13% to 32 320 students (2020: 28 664), and contact learning students contracted by 7% to 5,942 students (2020: 6,367).

Distance learning students represented 84% of total students at 31 December 2021, with contact learning students representing 16%.

The group declared a maiden dividend of 4.70 cents per share – a value of just under R40 million paid out to ordinary shareholders.

STADIO Holdings CEO, Chris Vorster, said that the results are especially pleasing considering the uncertain and difficult environment in which it was achieved. “Also of note is the fact that we were in a favourable financial position to declare a maiden dividend of 4.7 cents to shareholders. This represents excess cash available following a period of significant capital investment since the listing of STADIO Holdings in 2017.

“However, this is by no means an indication that growth projects will cease as the group has a solid balance sheet with limited gearing.”

Vorster said that distance learning student numbers reflected good overall growth, with online professional qualifications showing significant growth in enrolments over the period.

“The decline in contact learning students is mainly due to students delaying or deferring studies given the uncertainties of Covid-19. We nevertheless believe that the contact learning student numbers will recover once normality and stability return to campuses.”

The STADIO Group currently has 86 programmes that are accredited, with an additional 34 programmes across both contact and distance learning modes of delivery (including programmes in Law, Engineering and Information Technology) in the process of development and/or accreditation.

At year-end, STADIO had invested R52 million into the completion of Phase 1 of the STADIO Centurion campus, which opened its doors in January 2022. A further R22 million was invested to complete Phase ll of the campus, with the development set to be completed during 2022.

STADIO also invested R71 million for the transfer of, and for development contributions related to the STADIO Durbanville land.

The transfer and development of the Krugersdorp distance learning logistics centre was subsequently postponed to the second quarter of 2022. A further R31 million was invested across the group on existing facilities, systems and moveable assets.

“We have made significant strides in positioning the group’s underlying institutions to be able to pursue its strategic objectives and ultimately achieve sustainable growth in 2021.”

“The group is well-positioned to meet the growing demands of the country’s higher education needs and we believe that higher education is a fundamental pillar of social and economic empowerment that will promote economic growth in the country,” said Vorster.

– BusinessTech