Education

Teachers, students and parents demand toilets and libraries for schools

“Our school has four pit-toilets, two for the boys and two for the girls”, Yonela Jumba says. “These toilets are also used by the teachers.”

Koketso Moeti

News | 16 July 2014

The Week in Political Activism

This week we report arrests at a health demonstration in the Free State, the African Union’s recent move to immunise leaders from war crime prosecution, and an upcoming school infrastructure reform conference.

Michelle Korte

News | 10 July 2014

Former car guard gets his master’s degree

Former car guard Albert Mpazayabo’s great regret is that he cannot use his new master’s degree in his own country, Rwanda.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 9 July 2014

Mother of four battles to survive

HIV-positive Zuziwe* from Nyanga is worried about how she is going to survive this winter because she says she doesn’t have enough food or blankets for her children.

Pharie Sefali

News | 1 July 2014

Mathematics a key to Africa’s future

Hopes are high for 49 students from 20 different African countries who graduated with a master’s degree in Mathematics in Cape Town this week. The students – from countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa – completed their studies at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) located in Muizenberg.

Yazeed Kamaldien

News | 27 June 2014

Youth Day: Struggle for equal education continues

Nearly 40 years ago on 16 June 1976, there was a youth uprising in Soweto. This was evoked by the learners at the time who did not want to be taught in Afrikaans. Their struggle was against an inferior education system that was setting them up for failure.

Sizwe Zubenathi Mapapu

Opinion | 16 June 2014

English, not Afrikaans, is the problem for today’s youth

As a young African and as a member of youth organisation Inkululeko in Mind, I hold 16 June as a day of honour for our heroes who gave their lives so that our generation would have better education. We have to defend and advance their legacy and pass it to generations to come.

Monde Kula

Opinion | 16 June 2014

Broken promises and climate of fear at Eastern Cape school

Back in 2012, learners at Moshesh Senior Secondary School, about 35km from Matatiele in the Eastern Cape, contacted Equal Education (EE) about the abysmal conditions at their school. Last week, EE returned to Moshesh to see what had changed.

Olivia Murphy

Opinion | 10 June 2014

You too can learn the Khoikhoi language

Sounds of the Khoikhoi language fill a hall at the Castle of Good Hope where classes to teach South Africa’s first indigenous language are held every weekend.

Yazeed Kamaldien

News | 29 May 2014

An ‘oasis of excellence’ in the arid karoo

For all the special pleading by the major teachers’ union, Sadtu and the assertions by basic education minister Angie Motshekga that all is well, our schooling system is in crisis.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 26 May 2014

Teaching Khayelitsha children computer skills

Sibongile Mbele is an Information Technology (IT) specialist from Khayelitsha. He owns a business that assists people in the township mostly with computer problems. At the same time, he tutors young people from ages five to fifteen.

Pharie Sefali

News | 13 May 2014

Police clash with high-school students in Cape Town - province agrees to demands

Education authorities have agreed to address students' demands after about 300 students from Sizimisele Technical High School in Khayelitsha tried to protest yesterday in the city centre, complaining of a lack of teachers. The protest was blocked by a heavy police presence.

Sibusiso Tshabalala

News | 7 May 2014

UCT students grill political parties

Representatives of political parties got a grilling from UCT students last night at a debate on the university campus.

Pharie Sefali

News | 24 April 2014

A year of compulsory community service for new teachers?

On April Fool’s day, GroundUp published a story which claimed that government had made it compulsory for teacher graduates to provide their services in non-model C government schools for one year.

Joshua Maserow

Opinion | 15 April 2014

Compulsory service in non-model C government schools for all teaching graduates

Yesterday the Department of Education issued new regulations that make it compulsory for all new teachers to teach for one year in non-model C government schools. This is with immediate effect. It applies to graduates of all teaching colleges and post-graduate university courses in 2014.

GroundUp Staff

News | 1 April 2014

Gugulethu youth organisation on a mission to turn church library into public library

Gugulethu based community organisation, Township Youth Movement (TYM), have taken it upon themselves to open a second public library in the township.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 18 March 2014