EDUCATION - The African Mirror

Aug

25

2022

New universities in Nigeria? Absolutely not

EDUCATION

PUBLIC university lecturers in Nigeria have been on strike since 14 February 2022. One of their biggest issues is that the institutions they work for are poorly funded. Despite this, Nigeria’s National Assembly recently raised the idea of establishing 63 new universities. Nigeria already has more than 200 universities. In this interview, Dr Jerome Isuku, an educational management expert who works at the University of Ibadan, sets out his views on the government’s thinking. Author ERAGBAI JEROME ISUKU, Lecturer, University of Ibadan Does Nigeria need 63 new universities? The proliferation of universities in the face of dwindling financial input from…

Aug

20

2022

By The African Mirror

Academic freedom and democracy in African countries: the first study to track the connection

EDUCATION

THERE is growing interest in the state of academic freedom worldwide. A 1997 Unesco document defines it as the right of scholars to teach, discuss, research, publish, express opinions about systems and participate in academic bodies. Academic freedom is a cornerstone of education and knowledge. Yet there is surprisingly little empirical research on the actual impact of academic freedom. Comparable measurements have also been scarce. It was only in 2020 that a worldwide index of academic freedom was launched by the Varieties of Democracy database, V-Dem, in collaboration with the Scholars at Risk Network. Author LIISA LAAKSO, Senior Researcher, The…

Aug

13

2022

By The African Mirror

Universities shouldn’t use software to monitor online exams: here’s why

EDUCATION

PROCTORING software monitors a student’s computer or phone while they write exams. These programs have been around for some time but became ubiquitous during online learning during the pandemic. Proctoria, Respondus and Proctor U, the most popular programs, have enjoyed a 500% increase in usage since the start of COVID-19 and proctoring software is now a US$19 billion global market. Author SIOUX MCKENNA, Director of Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Rhodes University & Visiting Research Professor in Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, Rhodes University Some proctoring programs work by checking that the student has only the test software and…

Aug

06

2022

By The African Mirror

Bilingual education can work in South African schools: here’s how

EDUCATION

FROM the fourth year of schooling, the majority of South African schools teach all subjects in English only. The devastating learning consequences of this for children who speak African languages at home have been compellingly captured in the documentary film Sink or Swim. These consequences include a lack of conceptual understanding and little identification with the content. In South Africa, there are 12 official languages, including South African sign language. The constitution allows that any of these languages may be used as a medium of instruction in schools. But only English, and in a minority of schools Afrikaans, is used…

Jul

30

2022

By The African Mirror

School feeding programmes are great value for money

EDUCATION

HUNDREDS of millions of children worldwide attend class every day. With such a wide reach, schools can effectively deliver a vast array of interventions such as immunisations and hygiene education. They can greatly improve the health of the students, who will learn better as a result. School feeding programmes are among these interventions. They take a variety of forms, either targeting the poorest and most marginalised communities or universally covering all public schools in a given country. They are deployed daily, often within broader school health and nutrition programmes, and reach hundreds of millions of children every day. STÉPHANE VERGUET,…

Jul

28

2022

By The African Mirror

Why the hijab controversy persists in Nigeria’s public schools

EDUCATION

HIJAB use in Nigeria’s public schools has become highly controversial, in some cases leading to riots, fatalities, the destruction of school property and the closure of schools. Adeyemi Balogun, a PhD holder in the history of religion with research interests in Muslim culture and Muslim/ Christian relations, sets out why the issue is so contentious, and what can be done to ease tensions. What is the hijab? The hijab has become a term used for all types of veiling among Muslim women. Some take it to mean a scarf or any piece of clothing that covers the woman’s head, face…

Jul

27

2022

By The African Mirror

Schools can be a great resource for mental health in South Africa

EDUCATION

IN the face of deep inequality, unemployment, high rates of crime and violence, and the social and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health trajectory for young South Africans looks bleak. Mental health is multi-faceted. It enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. When people face social and economic adversity, their risk of developing mental illness increases if they don’t have support that could protect them. Author SARAH SKEEN, Associate Professor, Global Health, Stellenbosch University Data on the exact burden of child and…

Jul

21

2022

By The African Mirror

Mobile phones can enable learning during school disruptions. Here’s how

EDUCATION

THE COVID-19 pandemic placed enormous pressure on education systems worldwide. At the peak of the crisis, school closures forced over 1.6 billion learners out of classrooms. This exacerbated a learning crisis that existed before the pandemic, with many children in school but learning very little. Widespread school closures are not unique to COVID-19. Teacher strikes, natural disasters, other disease outbreaks and extreme weather conditions all result in lengthy school closures. The cost of school closures has proved to be substantial, in particular for lower socioeconomic status households. When schools are closed, remote learning is rarely as effective as in-school instruction,…

Jun

18

2022

By The African Mirror

What the 100-year-old Makerere University in Uganda reveals about culture

EDUCATION

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY, which marks its centenary this year, is well-known as the oldest university in East Africa and as a cradle of political elites. Its alumni include presidents and prime ministers – among them Joseph Kabila (Democratic Republic of Congo), Julius Nyerere and Benjamin Mkapa (Tanzania), Mwai Kibaki (Kenya), and Milton Obote and Ruhakana Rugunda (Uganda). Author JOAN RICART-HUGUET, Assistant Professor, Loyola University Maryland and Postdoctoral Associate and Lecturer, Yale University Writers such as Ngugi wa Thiong'o from Kenya and David Rubadiri from Tanzania, scholars and political activists such as Stella Nyanzi and Bobi Wine are also Makerere alumni. Less…

Jun

09

2022

By The African Mirror

Rwandan researchers are finally being centred in scholarship about their own country

EDUCATION

IT is widely known that African researchers are dramatically underrepresented in academic journals. But it’s still astonishing to see this reality starkly represented in numbers. Authors FELIX MUKWIZA NDAHINDA, Honorary Associate Professor, College of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Rwanda JASON MOSLEY, Research Associate, African Studies Centre, University of Oxford NICOLA PALMER, Reader in Law, King's College London PHIL CLARK, Professor of International Politics, SOAS, University of London SANDRA SHENGE, Director of Programs, Aegis Trust For the past eight years we have run the Research, Policy and Higher Education (RPHE) programme, a research and peer-support scheme with Rwandan scholars,…