EDUCATION - The African Mirror

Jan

10

2024

Studying engineering is tough: 6 insights to help university students succeed

EDUCATION

ENGINEERING courses are a popular choice among South African university students. But these courses are also gruelling and the attrition rates are high. The Council on Higher Education reports that half of the engineering students enrolled at South African universities do not complete their studies. That figure is similar in other parts of the world. CURWYN MAPALING, Senior Lecturer, University of Johannesburg Yet, some students weather the storms of an engineering degree with remarkable resilience, ensuring not just survival but success. How do they do it? I am a senior lecturer and trained academic advisor, registered as a clinical psychologist,…

Jan

06

2024

By The African Mirror

Bullies in South African schools were often bullied themselves – insights from an expert

EDUCATION

“Pupil stabbed to death at Gauteng school had suffered history of bullying”. “Grade 6 learner commits suicide after bullying”. “Grade 11 learner takes her own life after taunts over her appearance.” ANDREA JUAN, Chief Research Specialist, Human Sciences Research Council These are just some headlines about the occasionally tragic effects of violent school bullying in South African schools – and, unfortunately, the problem runs deep. In 2015 the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, which also collects information on the factors that affect academic performance, found that 64% of South African grade 9 learners (most aged between 14 and…

Dec

16

2023

By LINDA NGOMBE, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Elephants and floods won’t stop this young volunteer teacher

EDUCATION

CLASS is in session at Musasawanyama Community School and Charles Mvula is teaching with a confidence that belies his years. He is also making every minute count because, in this remote community in eastern Zambia, access to the school is far from guaranteed. All too often, nature gets in the way. "Most of the time, our pupils cannot attend school because the paths are obstructed, especially by elephants. Someone who did not grow up here would not last a week," Mvula explained. The community is located close to Lukusuzi National Park and while the park is a protected area, reaching…

Dec

09

2023

By The African Mirror

bird TenX: Top 10 Universities in Africa

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa: Known for its stunning location at the foot of Table Mountain, UCT is the oldest university in South Africa as well as outside northern Africa and is renowned for its strong research output, diverse student body, and highly qualified faculty. Its comprehensive range of programs and its commitment to social justice and community engagement also contribute to its prestige. Its picturesque setting and diverse student body add to its appeal, making it a top choice for students seeking a world-class education in a unique environment. University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa: Located…

Nov

28

2023

By The African Mirror

Ethiopia’s education system is in crisis – now’s the time to fix it

EDUCATION

IN October 2023, Ethiopia’s minister of education, Berhanu Nega, disclosed several shocking figures on the outcomes of the 12th-grade national examination. Of the 3,106 schools that administered the 12th grade (secondary school leaving) examination for the 2022/23 academic year, 43% reported that none of their students had passed. TEBEJE MOLLA, Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Deakin University DAWIT TIBEBU TIRUNEH, Research Associate, University of Cambridge And, for the second consecutive year, more than 96% of students who participated in the national school leaving examination scored less than the mark (an average of 50%) required to pass. This means that hundreds…

Nov

23

2023

By The African Mirror

A free messaging app seemed useful for disadvantaged South African students: why they didn’t agree

EDUCATION

SOUTH African higher education is plagued by inequalities due to the social and economic legacies of apartheid. More than 50% of enrolment in higher education is from black, working-class, disadvantaged households from rural areas who depend on state-funded student aid. At the same time, some institutions of higher learning are also historically disadvantaged: they were designated for non-white students during the apartheid era. These institutions suffered discrimination, underfunding and limited resources, creating disparities in the country’s higher education system. FAZLYN PETERSEN, Information Systems Senior Lecturer, University of the Western Cape In a rapidly evolving digital era, one of the big…

Nov

21

2023

By The African Mirror

South African university students use AI to help them understand – not to avoid work

EDUCATION

WHEN ChatGPT was released in November 2022, it sparked many conversations and moral panics. These centre on the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on the information environment. People worry that AI chatbots can negatively affect the integrity of creative and academic work, especially since they can produce human-like texts and images. TANJA BOSCH, Professor in Media Studies and Production, University of Cape Town CHIKEZIE E. UZUEGBUNAM, Lecturer & MA Programme Coordinator, Rhodes University ChatGPT is a generative AI model using machine learning. It creates human-like responses, having been trained to recognise patterns in data. While it appears the model…

Nov

09

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigeria’s women vice-chancellors: I know what it’s like to be one, and why there are so few

EDUCATION

THE secretary-general of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors in Nigeria recently disclosed that only 38 women have been vice-chancellors of universities in Nigeria since 1960, out of more than 720 in total. The Conversation Africa asked Ekanem Braide, the Nigerian Academy of Science president and a former vice-chancellor, why this is so and how the country can have more women as university heads. EKANEM BRAIDE, President, Nigerian Academy of Science Why are there so few female vice-chancellors in Nigeria? Only 5.27% of all Nigeria’s vice-chancellors since 1960 have been women. Only 12 of the current serving vice-chancellors are women. There are…

Nov

04

2023

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s literacy crisis: our app could help young readers by using home language and English

EDUCATION

LAURETTE MARAIS, Senior Researcher, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research LAURETTE PRETORIUS, Professor Extraordinarius, Stellenbosch University LITERACY changes lives: in Unesco’s words, it “empowers and liberates people, … reduces poverty, increases participation in the labour market and has positive effects on health and sustainable development”. But in South Africa, 8 out of 10 children cannot read for meaning by the end of their third school year. During the first three years of their education, South African children receive schooling in one of the 11 written official languages. Generally, this means being taught in their home language. Then, at the beginning…

Oct

28

2023

By ANNIKA SURMEIER, ALEX BIGNOTTI, BOB DOHERTY, DAVID LITTLEWOOD, DIANE HOLT, PHYLLIS AWOR, RALPH HAMANN and TEDDY OSSEI KWAKYE

Global university rankings now include social impact: African universities are off to a strong start

EDUCATION

WORLD university rankings are released towards the end of each year. Institutions globally scramble to see how they have fared. Have they risen or fallen? If so, by how much and in which rankings? Have they maintained their position in an increasingly competitive global higher education landscape? There have been some improvements in African universities’ performances. But the continent’s institutions still don’t feature prominently towards the top of the rankings. In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2024, for instance, South Africa’s University of Cape Town is top for the continent, at 167th place. It is followed by…