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UP researcher enlists public to track elusive African Striped Weasel

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UP researcher enlists public to track elusive African Striped Weasel

By Rafieka Williams

Post-doctoral researcher Kyle Smith, from the University of Pretoria’s Zoology Department, is on a quest to find and expand the study of the African Striped Weasel.

His goal is to expand research on this underresearched species, in doing so, contribute to a deeper understanding of the natural world.

In August 2025, Smith issued a public appeal, asking citizen scientists and the wider public to help locate the tiny but lethal nocturnal predator as part of efforts to protect the species.

Speaking told Inside Education that the response had been overwhelming.

“I’ve been swamped by emails and messages of sightings — not always of striped weasels, but that is part of the project, to make people aware of the weasels and how to distinguish them from other similar looking species. The public response has been great and many other media networks across the country have joined in to help and share our request for sightings to the public.”

The African Striped Weasel is a slender, black-and-white mustelid with a white tail, measuring 27 to 31cm in length. It is often mistaken for the striped polecat. Though indigenous to South Africa, it can also be found across much of sub-Saharan Africa.

Smith believes that expanding knowledge about under-researched animals like the African Striped Weasel will eventually drive conservation efforts, ensuring they do not face the risk of endangerment.

“The striped weasel is not classified as endangered. We do not have the data or results, yet, to say that they are at risk of becoming endangered. This we will hopefully reveal at the end of the project,” he said.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than 47,000 species of animals and plants face extinction in 2025.

Although sightings are rare, Smith has encountered the species before. In 2019, he recorded two individuals in the Knersvlakte region on the West Coast.

“I can’t reveal too much about the data we’ve collected thus far, but the inland regions of the Cape and the KZN midlands are where most of the sightings seem to come from,” he said.

His research involves both tracking and data collection, as well as engaging with local communities where the weasels may be living close to people.

“This research will hopefully allow for more research on mustelids in the future – a family that has not received much research attention in the past. With the success of this project, we hope to show other students and researchers a pathway to accomplish similar success with other elusive species that are not only limited to mammals,” Smith said.

His work will contribute to broader studies in zoology and conservation conducted by the University of Pretoria, Sol Plaatje University, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

How you can help with the African striped weasel project

If you have information about sightings of African striped weasels, contact Kyle Smith via:

WhatsApp at 073 620 8517 or send sightings through to his social media handles on Instagram: @africanstripedweaselproject or @kylezoologist

Please include the following details:

The date and time of the sighting (at the very least, the month and year)

GPS coordinates or as precise a location as possible

Additional information includes:

Photographic evidence (regardless of quality)

Any other observations, such as sightings of prey caught, interactions with other species or, in cases of dead animals, speculations on the cause of death

GPS coordinates of burrows

Sightings include roadkill and other dead animals, as well as animals seen in neighbouring countries.

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Manamela defends SETA administrators, promises deep reform of skills development system

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Manamela defends SETA administrators, promises deep reform of skills development system

By Johnathan Paoli

Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) Minister Buti Manamela has defended his decision to place three major Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) under administration, describing it as “unprecedented but unavoidable” and essential to restoring public trust in South Africa’s skills development system.

Addressing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education this week, Manamela said of the interventions: “This is not routine housekeeping. It is about rescuing the credibility of our skills development system, protecting billions in public funds, and safeguarding the futures of thousands of young people who depend on SETAs for work, dignity, and livelihoods.”

The briefing, which also covered the National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s (NSFAS) readiness for the conclusion of the 2025 academic year, drew a packed committee room and set the stage for far-reaching reform across the post-school education and training (PSET) sector.

Manamela, who took office in July this year, said he inherited a sector in turmoil.

Governance failures had accumulated for years, and three SETAs – Services, Construction, and Local Government- had reached breaking point.

The Services SETA, one of the largest, was engulfed by procurement irregularities flagged in a 2022 forensic report. Boards recycled service providers, ignored recommendations, and failed to implement consequence management. By mid-2025, the acting CEO resigned, resulting in paralysis.

The Construction SETA, previously under administration between 2020 and 2022, relapsed by 2024. Whistleblowers alleged intimidation while R80 million in wasteful expenditure was recorded.

Auditor-General (AG) reports repeated the same findings year after year.

The Local Government SETA faced the most serious collapse, with National Treasury flagging an irregular CEO appointment, unlawful dissolution of oversight committees, and possible criminal procurement practices.

Municipal projects stalled, learners went unpaid, and reserves were frozen.

Across all three, Manamela said, boards were either unwilling or unable to act, CEOs were conflicted, and learners were left stranded.

In August, after consultations with the National Skills Authority (NSA), Manamela formally sought advice and gazetted the decision to place the three SETAs under administration.

Anticipating criticism, Manamela stressed that his actions were grounded in Section 15 of the Skills Development Act, which allows intervention where there is mismanagement or non-performance.

In both Services and Local Government SETAs, he said, the dual role of CEOs acting as accounting authorities created untenable conflicts of interest.

To stabilise governance, the minister appointed three administrators whom he claims were vetted, qualified, and chosen for competence rather than political loyalty.

Their mandates include restoring compliance, enforcing consequence management, ensuring learner support, and submitting 90-day turnaround plans by November.

Manamela confirmed that legal challenges had been filed in Labour and High Courts, but insisted that the substance of mismanagement was uncontested.

“Our actions were lawful, necessary, and proportionate to the risks. Administration is not the end of the matter; it is only the beginning of broader reform,” he told MPs.

DHET Director-General Nkosinathi Sishi provided technical evidence, pointing to CFO resignations, whistleblower complaints, audit reports, and Treasury investigations that revealed conflicts of interest, questionable payments, and repeated governance breaches.

The NSA, he said, endorsed urgent intervention.

Both Manamela and Sishi acknowledged that the problems extended beyond the three SETAs and reflected weaknesses in the SETA model itself.

Planned reforms include closer cooperation with the Auditor-General, possible rationalisation of SETAs into a more coherent PSET system, and stronger alignment with national economic priorities.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) – which has for years independently investigated the entities — said in August that administration was not a solution on its own. “Unless credible boards and ethical CEOs are appointed within two months, the move will fail like so many before it.”

OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage, at the time, questioned why the Insurance SETA, with its serious governance failures, was left untouched. Duvenage also said there were concerns about the administrators appointed. At least two had been fingered in allegations of maladministration and corruption. “This looks like cadre deployment, not a clean-up,” Duvenage said at the time.

Although dominated by the SETA crisis, the meeting also reviewed NSFAS progress.

CEO Waseem Carrim assured MPs that stabilisation measures had eased the 2025 funding impasse. A R13 billion reprioritisation secured with Treasury had covered students whose applications or registrations were blocked earlier this year.

Applications for the 2026 cycle opened on 16 September and close on 15 November, with Carrim pledging faster, more transparent processes.

Around 70% of applicants come via SASSA, and NSFAS aims to finalise all eligibility decisions by 15 December, informing students simultaneously to prevent confusion.

The agency has strengthened its backend systems with cloud technology, expanded application platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and USSD; and introduced innovations such as digital signatures, biometrics, and optical character recognition to streamline funding decisions.

Outreach campaigns are under way in partnership with schools, libraries, and Thusong centres to ensure rural students are not left behind.

On accommodation, Carrim reported that R3.8 billion had been disbursed to over 4,000 private providers supporting 121,000 students.

Payment delays, especially in the Northern Cape, are being resolved, and a new accommodation protocol has been published for consultation ahead of the 2026 academic year.

Parliamentary committee members welcomed the interventions but warned that close oversight would remain vital.

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Gwarube and Malatsi hand over smart tablets to Cape Town learners

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Gwarube and Malatsi hand over smart tablets to Cape Town learners

By Lebone Rodah Mosima

Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube and Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi have handed over smart learning tablets to learners at the Forest Village Leadership Academy in Cape Town, in what they described as a joint effort to bridge South Africa’s digital divide.

The initiative forms part of the government’s ongoing drive to expand digital access in education through public–private partnerships.

In July, the ministers handed out tablets at Glenvista Primary School in Johannesburg.

Speaking on X about the Forest Village handout on Friday, Gwarube said: “These smart tablets, donated by Primedia, form part of our ongoing drive to expand school connectivity, digital literacy, and access to coding and robotics education within South Africa’s basic education system.

“These tablets will help support learners in building competence in reading, mathematics, and digital skills, laying a strong foundation for lifelong learning and opportunity.”

Gwarube said the handover was a testament to “the power of partnerships”.

She said that both departments have been handing over smart devices around the country with the support of corporate partners.

“[W]e know that in South Africa, the digital device still remains very much along the lines of those who have access to economic opportunities and those who do not,” she said.

Gwarube acknowledged that parliament had expressed dissatisfaction with the department’s pace in expanding connectivity. She said the initiative was part of efforts to ensure every learner has access to a device.

She said that the handover demonstrated government’s commitment to making sure no learner is left behind in the digital age.

She also described the initiative as an important step in preparing learners for the 21st century, encouraging early engagement with technology and building a foundation for success in a rapidly changing economy.

Malatsi said the handover “forms part of our drive to bring smart devices to underserved communities, helping young learners explore coding, robotics and STEM subjects so they can thrive in the digital world”.

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Takealot, DHET partner to bridge skills gap

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Takealot, DHET partner to bridge skills gap

By Levy Masiteng

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Takealot have partnered to bridge the gap between education and employment by offering industry-relevant skills training and e-commerce business opportunities to young people, through the Takealot Township Economy Initiative.

The signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding between the DHET and Takealot took place at Takealot in Kempton Park on Wednesday.

During the ceremony, both organisations said the partnership aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the digital economy.

Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mimmy Gondwe, said that the initiative has four main initiatives. The first was the adoption of three TVET colleges near its distribution centres in Kempton Park, Durban, and Cape Town, to provide students with work-integrated learning opportunities and industry experts to support curriculum development.

The second initiative included an expansion of Takealot’s bursary programme. Gondwe said her department will match the funding, thereby enabling more students to access education, particularly in high-demand skills areas such as ICT, logistics, and e-commerce retail.

Gondwe said that Takealot will also use its logistics and delivery network to ensure timely delivery of textbooks to students across various campuses, nationwide.

The fourth initiative involves the township economy, whereby the partners will support township entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized enterprises to participate in the digital economy, providing training, funding, and access to Takealot’s platform.

Takealot CEO Frederik Zietsman said the company employed 7,500 people, supported 33,000 livelihoods, and hosted 50,000 sellers on its platform.

“[W]e empower multiple more people to earn a livelihood and to have careers within our ecosystem,” Zietsman said.

Gondwe said that staff and students will benefit from mentorship, career guidance, and volunteerism from Takealot employees, and that more importantly, Takealot will extend free access to online learning resources, offering a global college catalogue of skills training directly to students.

Gondwe also emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing the country’s high unemployment rate.

“Today’s MoU builds on our Takealot Township Economy Initiative agreements in Mpumalanga and Gauteng and now takes them national, with clear roles, measurable outcomes, and shared accountability,” she said.

Zietsman highlighted the company’s commitment to using e-commerce to improve lives.

“Our purpose statement is truly our conviction. We live day in, day out, with the conviction of using e-commerce to change lives in South Africa for the better.”

The Takealot Township Economy Initiative aims to create 20 000 new opportunities by 2028.

Zietsman said Takealot had already supported over 130 TVET learners through work-integrated learning programmes and has a “Yes for Youth” programme that supports over 120 learners and graduates.

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KZN launches school safety programme to tackle violence, crime

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KZN launches school safety programme to tackle violence, crime

By Thapelo Molefe

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli on Thursday unveiled a province-wide School Safety Programme aimed at addressing rising incidents of violence, crime, and drug abuse in schools.

Speaking at the Archie Gumede Conference Centre in Durban, Ntuli said the initiative was a bold commitment to inspire new hope by creating safer, stronger, and more prosperous communities, starting with schools.

Since January 2024, KZN has recorded more than 2,300 cases of sexual harassment, violence, theft, gang activity, drug abuse and faction fighting in schools.

“These are not just statistics. They are broken lives, interrupted education, and communities in distress. We cannot and will not stand by,” Ntuli told delegates.

The School Safety Programme will recruit and train student ambassadors to champion accountability and create safer school environments, while also establishing confidential reporting channels for learners to raise concerns about bullying, gender-based violence, and substance abuse.

In addition, security infrastructure will be strengthened through the installation of CCTV cameras in 20 schools across eThekwini, King Cetshwayo, and Amajuba districts. 

The initiative will further promote arts, culture, and sports as preventative tools, using platforms such as poetry, debates, and other activities to encourage positive social messaging and awareness.

The programme will be implemented through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Departments of Community Safety and Liaison, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, and the South African Police Service.

The launch was attended by representatives from law enforcement, senior government officials, educators, and community leaders, reflecting a broad commitment to making schools safer.

Ntuli emphasised that the responsibility for safe schools extended beyond the government.

“School safety is a collective responsibility. Communities must guard against vandalism and crime. Parents must remain present and guide their children. Learners, your voices matter, your leadership matters,” he said.

He warned that the province’s future depended on ensuring that schools remained “true havens of growth.”

“The safety of our children is non-negotiable. It is the foundation on which our province and our nation will stand or fall. No child in KwaZulu-Natal should ever fear walking into a classroom, and no parent should fear sending their child to school,” Ntuli said.

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CETA-funded beneficiary tops PDBA class at GIBS

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CETA-funded beneficiary tops PDBA class at GIBS

By Thebe Mabanga

Trailblazing academic and sector policy expert Jeanette Mosia is a focused, deeply spiritual mother of two who uses her success not only to uplift her family but also to show young people that their background does not define their future.

Her latest accomplishment is to finish top of her class in the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (PDBA) at the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), in a programme funded by the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA).

Her life mantra, displayed as her WhatsApp status is: “Distraction leads to deception, deception leads to dislocation, dislocation leads to disruption.”

It is taken from renowned evangelist Bishop Dale Bronner’s sermon and means that if you are distraction from your purpose, it can lead you to be deceived by life’s temptation and once dislocated from your path, it can ruin your life, career, and family life.

“For me it highlights the importance of having a stubborn and resolute focus regardless of what life throws at you.” says Mosia.

“ What looks like a small distraction can lead you into a negative chain, you can easily entangle yourself in a web that you do not know how to get out of.”

It is this single-minded determination that allows her to juggle her work as a programme manager at the Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) in Pretoria, running her ministry with her husband, Bonngwe Mosia, whom he credits for support and running their household with two small children and juggling studies which following the PDBA, now involves taking on an MBA in October.

The fourth of five children and the first to graduate in her family, Mosia was born in Makhubung village outside Mahikeng in the North West.  

After completing her high school in Mmabatho, she studied at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where she obtained a BSc in Construction Studies in 2008, followed by an Honours the year after and an MSc in Project Management in 2012.

For the CETA funded programme, she was alerted by a friend and former colleague and promptly applied for a four-month International Executive Development Programme.

It was literally while undergoing orientation in April 2024 that she learnt that she will be doing a yearlong programme that requires her to attend class one week every month.

Mosia, 39, believes this was divine intervention as she may never have agreed to such a commitment willingly given her work and ministry.

She has now seen it through with flying colours.

She notes that her favourite part of the program was doing immersion in Dubai, Shenzhen in China and Hong Kong as these gave her firsthand experience of how other countries do business and transform cities as well as the value of strong leadership and commitment to development.

CETA funds such programmes to help build leadership not just for the South African built environment but for the broader corporate sector.

“My goal when I joined the programme was  to facilitate my transition from technical roles to more strategic and executive roles and I am ready for it.” says Mosia.

Mosia says between a full-time job, studying, raising small kids, and co-leading a church ministry with her husband, she does not get to have much time left to herself.

The two activities that “ignite her soul” are ballroom dancing, which she has not done in years, and completing a road race, which she cannot do consistently but compensates for it with daily walks.  

She has time to occasionally read for pleasure and counts John Maxwell as among her favourite authors for his bible centered philosophy on leadership.  

CETA, with its aim to provide skills development services to the construction sector and implement the objectives of the National Skills Development Strategy, plays a crucial role in ensuring that the construction sector is equipped with the critical and scarce skills necessary for economic sustainability and global competitiveness.

The CETA officially entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in 2024 to foster collaboration and strengthen the South African construction and built-environment sector.

In terms of the MOU, Gibs will design and deliver specialised learning programmes tailored to the needs of professionals within the construction sector.

These programmes span from entrepreneurial development to executive leadership development programme, and engage in thought-leadership, research, and skills planning.

CETA chief executive Malusi Shezi says the construction Seta aims to train 120 women to occupy key positions within the construction industry.

“We have made it clear that 60% of the beneficiaries of the international executive development programme is women. This was to ensure that women occupy key positions within the construction sector, which was traditionally dominated by men, says Shezi.

“We did not want a situation where companies would say we are not hiring women because we cannot find them. We have now made it possible for them to put women in key executive positions. We made sure we increase the pool so that there is no reason for companies not to transform. Women deserve to be given opportunities.”

Professor Morris Mthombeni, dean of GIBS, says collaborative partnerships with institutions such as CETA hold immense value “as they enable us to collectively develop innovative solutions for the skills challenges facing our nation.”

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Parliament warns of possible Operation Dudula disruptions at SA schools

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Parliament warns of possible Operation Dudula disruptions at SA schools

By Thapelo Molefe

Parliament has urged parents of foreign national learners to exercise vigilance amid warnings that Operation Dudula activists could attempt to block children from accessing schools on Wednesday.

The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries, Makhi Feni, said the committee was deeply concerned by social media posts suggesting the group intended to disrupt schooling.

“We condemn this conduct from Operation Dudula activists, and we call on them not to distract school operations. Learning time is of essence and especially this close to preliminary and final examinations,” Feni said.

He called on the Department of Basic Education to implement measures to safeguard schools and ensure that any individuals who threaten learners are held accountable.

Operation Dudula, known for previous illegal demonstrations at healthcare facilities, has not publicly confirmed the planned action but has faced criticism for targeting foreign nationals in various sectors.

The group’s organisational leader Zandile Dabula, recently announced that Operation Dudula will launch a larger campaign at the end of December, continuing into January 2026, aimed at preventing foreign children particularly those without legal documentation from enrolling in public schools in South Africa. 

Dabula said members of the movement would be stationed at schools to enforce the policy.

Civil society organisations have condemned the plans. Equal Education (EE) and the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) argue the proposed campaign violates the Constitution and a landmark High Court ruling affirming the rights of all children in the country to basic education, regardless of documentation status.

The issue of foreign nationals in South Africa, especially undocumented migrants, has been contentious for years, sparking protests, policy debates and tension over access to limited resources such as housing, healthcare and education.

Feni warned that any attempts to block access to schools could traumatise young learners and escalate into broader criminal activity. 

“These violent actions have the potential to be such a traumatic experience for young children and must be stopped. The uncoordinated activism by Operation Dudula is a concern, and could likely be hijacked by criminal elements,” he said.

He further appealed to principals to remain vigilant and to prioritise the safety and welfare of learners under their care.

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Jozi My Jozi launches Babize Bonke campaign to revitalise Johannesburg

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Jozi My Jozi launches Babize Bonke campaign to revitalise Johannesburg

By Johnathan Paoli

As Johannesburg gears up to host the G20 Summit later this year, the city’s creative heartbeat was on full display with the launch of Babize Bonke, a bold new campaign by the Jozi My Jozi movement.

Staged along the inner-city Main Street walkway, the launch showcased art, music, and stories of resilience from local champions who are reshaping Johannesburg from the ground up.

Among the eight champions celebrated in the campaign is Dr. Taddy Blecher, education pioneer and CEO of the Maharishi Invincibility Institute.

Inside Metros reached out to the pioneer, who described the Babize Bonke platform as a chance to connect Johannesburg’s revival directly to improving security in the area and opportunity.

“Johannesburg has always been a place of resilience and reinvention. The world will be watching us later this year. What we need to show is that Joburg is not defined by its problems but by the creativity, compassion, and determination of its people. Campaigns like Babize Bonke prove that,” Blecher reflected.

Blecher’s contribution to the campaign is rooted in the philosophy he has carried for decades: that transformation is not only about physical infrastructure, but about human capacity.

The campaign emphasises making the invisible visible.

For decades, he has been giving a platform to young people from backgrounds where talent often goes unnoticed.

Many of his institute’s students come from households with little or no income, yet graduate with globally recognised qualifications, entrepreneurial skills, and employment opportunities.

This follows the launch of the Security Mastery Academy (SMA), a partnership between the Maharishi Invincibility Institute and CAP Security launched last year; which seeks to professionalise the security sector while simultaneously creating opportunities for young people to play a direct role in Johannesburg’s regeneration.

“This academy is about mastery on two levels. On one level, we’re training consummate professionals who can meet the demands of a sector critical to South Africa’s safety and stability. On another level, we’re helping individuals achieve personal mastery through holistic training, from martial arts to stress management, from leadership skills to Transcendental Meditation,” Blecher said.

The programme is structured over three years, moving from security officer training to supervisory and commander levels.

Graduates are guaranteed employment, ensuring that the pathway leads not only to skills but to livelihoods.

Jozi My Jozi has broadened its scope with a series of initiatives designed to restore safety, dignity, and opportunity across Johannesburg’s inner city.

Through the Light Up Jozi campaign, the movement is raising R300 000 to install solar-powered lights in darkened areas, expanding on the successful revitalisation of the Nelson Mandela Bridge with plans to add solar panels along key corridors.

This work ties into broader efforts to repurpose derelict buildings for job creation, open arts and reading spaces for children, and establish technology centres offering coding, robotics, and AI training for youth while providing adult skills development during the day.

Partnerships with schools are central to identifying safety concerns, career opportunities, and sport facility needs.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) is another critical pillar, with Jozi My Jozi working alongside the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust and the Education department to register and upgrade under-resourced centres in the inner city and Soweto.

The aim is to bring them up to Bronze Level standards, unlocking government funding and creating sustainable environments for children and educators.

By strengthening ECD infrastructure, the initiative seeks to empower communities and ensure that young learners receive the foundation needed for future success.

At the same time, Jozi My Jozi is addressing homelessness through collaborations with NGOs such as MES, U-Turn, and the Johannesburg Homeless Network.

This includes renovating shelters, piloting containerised housing solutions, and launching a citywide “Point in Time Count” to establish accurate data on Johannesburg’s homeless population.

Together, these efforts reflect Jozi My Jozi’s community-driven vision of a safer, revitalised Johannesburg that balances immediate social challenges with long-term sustainable growth.

With the G20 Summit set to spotlight Johannesburg in November, initiatives like these demonstrate

As Jozi My Jozi continues to rally businesses, communities, and creatives under its “coalition of the doing,” Blecher sees these initiatives as demonstrating how civil society and business are stepping up to redefine the city’s story.

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KZN transport gets tough on scholar transport after 20 injured in latest crash

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KZN transport gets tough on scholar transport after 20 injured in latest crash

The KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department has announced a province-wide clampdown on unroadworthy scholar transport vehicles after a crash on Monday in Impendle left at least 20 learners injured.

MEC Siboniso Duma said traffic inspectors, working with municipal authorities, would be tasked with removing reckless drivers and unsafe minibuses from the road.

Duma confirmed on Tuesday that the driver involved in Monday’s accident had been arrested. He was found to hold only a learner’s licence and no Professional Driving Permit (PrDP), in violation of the National Land Transport Act.

“In KwaZulu-Natal, there are many unroadworthy vehicles used in private scholar transport,” Duma said. “We will remove from our road networks reckless drivers who are behind the spike in accidents that have destroyed families and cut short the lives of innocent people.”

Last week, a school taxi crashed into a crèche in iMbali, Pietermaritzburg, leading to the deaths of five children. Eight others were injured.

The latest accident occurred when a minibus taxi carrying learners aged between eight and 15 plunged off the KwaKhetha Bridge in Impendle. The children were taken to various healthcare facilities, where some are still recovering.

Spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said the department would also hold urgent talks with the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the province to address the increasing number of accidents involving scholar transport.

In addition, the department will partner with the Vehicle Testing Association, part of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation, to strengthen roadworthy checks. All minibuses will be tested at accredited municipal or private testing facilities, aligned with their designated route permits.

“The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport remains committed to prioritising the safety and well-being of all learners across the province,” the department said in a statement.

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Chalk and talk vs. active learning: what’s holding South African teachers back from using proven methods?

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Chalk and talk vs. active learning: what’s holding South African teachers back from using proven methods?

By Lizélle Pretorius

As a full-time teacher completing a PhD part-time, I made a decision early on: do research that speaks to the daily realities of teachers and teaching. And so, the idea came from a lived experience – the day I asked one of my grade 11 learners (an A student) about the interpretation of a poem. His response?

Ma’am, please just write the answer on the board so we can study it for the exam.

I am sure that many teachers can relate to that request, which is typical of education framed by a “chalk and talk” approach.

“Chalk and talk” refers to a classroom environment where the teacher does most of the talking. There’s an over-reliance on textbooks and a focus on recall and rote learning. This is your typical “one size fits all” approach to teaching. Learners are mostly motivated to learn to pass their final year exams.

In South Africa, where I work, that’s contrary to what the national curriculum states. The critical outcomes of the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement say learning has to be active, focus on critical thinking and reasoning, and go beyond memorising.

But that’s the exception rather than the rule in South African classrooms. There is a mismatch between policy and practice.

A US study weighed the pros and cons of active learning vs direct instruction. Ultimately, active learning is essential to promote curiosity, take ownership of one’s learning journey, and develop important social skills.

The goal of my research was simple: to help teachers include active learning activities in their regular classroom routines. I called my intervention the “altered flipped classroom”. The idea originates from the “flipped classroom”, an active learning approach to make the best use of face-to-face time with learners.

Altering the flipped classroom

The flipped classroom makes use of pre-recorded lessons that learners view before coming to class. In class, teachers support them to do their “homework”.

The flipped classroom has been researched in depth and the advantages to learning are impressive. These include improved learning performance and the development of skills such as critical analysis, problem-solving and collaboration. One study discovered that the flipped classroom helped low performers to keep up with their peers.

In South Africa, only 21.48% of public schools have access to the internet for teaching and learning. Because of this limitation, I had to “alter” the flipped classroom by excluding the technology component.

For example, instead of relying on online resources, learners can be given a visual representation of a poem along with a few guiding questions to prepare at home for the next day’s lesson. In class, they could then share their responses with a peer or the whole group.

This simple adjustment can enable meaningful contributions and include participation from all learners in a class.

Teachers take on the challenge

I invited Grade 8-11 teachers in public and private schools in the Western Cape province to participate. Thirty-one teachers attended the online training, and nine took part in the study. Their teaching experience ranged from first-year to over 30 years.

They also received a teacher manual which included the background of the flipped classroom, its underlying theories, and practical examples of how to start. Teachers were asked to flip their classroom for three consecutive lessons and to keep a research diary to capture their experiences. These were also discussed during online interviews.

The aim was to explore what had been holding them back from active learning methods. It turned out that they experienced internal and external pressures. Teachers had to overcome possible judgement for “teaching differently” and faced uncertainty regarding the changing of roles. They also experienced fear of having less control, and noted their old habits and mindsets of teaching.

Voices from the classroom

The teachers in my study were concerned about what colleagues or management might think:

If someone walked into my class, it would have seemed like … the kids were playing around, not working, but they were. It just … looked different.

Teachers had to face their own deep-rooted habits and mindsets, which mostly centred on control. This appeared to come from their well-established teacher identities, shaped by their beliefs, assumptions and experiences with regard to their own teaching and how they were taught.

One teacher emphasised the need to move from “a conservative in a box kind of teacher”. One said “my classroom is my stage”; another “felt territorial about {her} space”.

Some teachers recognised the need for change. One said, “I feel like we can break that habit” and another, “We cannot do it the way we have always done it”. They started to become aware of old habits that influenced their practice:

It’s so like hammered into me that you have to be in the front, you have to teach.

From passive learning to purposeful growth

Ideally, teachers will challenge themselves to question the chalk and talk comfort zone and the system that reinforces it.

If nothing changes, learners are being set up to be dependent on their teachers.

The teachers reported many advantages for active learning, such as increased motivation and learners taking responsibility for their learning.

Teachers should be encouraged to go beyond the boundaries of traditional teaching. Learning experiences have to include opportunities to develop thinking, skills and values. Apart from knowledge, these are essential when entering the workforce or when studying a post-school qualification.

Change is not always easy, but it is necessary.

THE CONVERSATION

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