EDUCATION - The African Mirror

Sep

10

2021

South African universities have taken to online teaching: but it can’t be permanent

EDUCATION

THE uptake of educational technology in South Africa’s higher education sector has been highly uneven and very slow. Before the pandemic, most courses offered in South African universities had some form of Learning Management System presence. Students could access course guides and readings, upload their assignments, and possibly communicate with their lecturer and peers via forums. But beyond that, many academics seemed to resist making use of the technology, even though it could allow for greater engagement and interactive learning. SIOUX MCKENNA, Director of Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Rhodes University And then 2020 happened and suddenly everyone found themselves thrown…

Sep

10

2021

By The African Mirror

Varsities: Egypt makes a leap

EDUCATION

CONRAD ONYANGO EGYPTIAN Universities’ growing emphasis on churning out high impact research could pave the way for other higher institutions of learning in Africa to enter the top league of the World’s Best Universities. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022, has listed Egyptian Universities among the fastest rising higher institutions of learning over the last four years. At 11 points of growth, the rate is even higher than China’s, which saw an improvement of 9 points. However, China's improvement saw two of its universities enter the top 20, while Egypt has just entered the top 300. Nevertheless, the…

Sep

07

2021

By The African Mirror

Children learn in class, and outside. But, over time, they learn more at school

EDUCATION

SCHOOL is a key component of our societies. In school, children learn to read and write. And being able to read is meant to help people of all ages to think at a higher level and make their lives better. SYMEN A. BROUWERS, Extraordinary Research Scientist, North-West University It is not surprising that literacy is thus an important goal for global development agencies. The “multiplier effect” of literacy is believed to empower people, enabling them to participate in society and improve their livelihoods. The truth is, learning basic skills such as solving arithmetic problems at school doesn’t necessarily make you…

Jan

22

2021

By The African Mirror

Scholarships alone are not enough to get more qualified female teachers into Nigeria’s schools

EDUCATION

NIGERIA'S northern rural regions suffer acute shortages of both female teachers and female pupils. UNICEF estimates that over half of all girls are not in school in the north while under a third of all primary school teachers are women. SARA HUMPHREYS, Visiting Research Fellow, University of Sussex MÁIRÉAD DUNNE, Professor of Sociology of Education, University of Sussex NAUREEN DURRANI, Professor, Graduate School of Education, Nazarbayev University To boost the numbers of female teachers in rural locations, an ambitious scholarship scheme was established to train young women from these areas to become teachers in their home villages. It was hoped…

Sep

05

2021

By The African Mirror

Rape culture in South African schools: where it comes from and how to change it

EDUCATION

IN August 2021, a six-year-old grade one learner in South Africa was raped, allegedly by a general worker in her school’s toilet. Public shock and outrage at the ongoing onslaught against children has brought renewed attention to young girls’ particular vulnerability to sexual violence. DEEVIA BHANA, Professor Gender and Childhood Sexuality, University of KwaZulu-Natal One in five children are victims of sexual abuse in South Africa, representing 19.8% compared to a global average of 18% for girls and 8% for boys. In the 2019/2020 Annual Crime Statistics report, more than 24,000 children were sexually assaulted in South Africa. Statistics are…

Feb

03

2021

By The African Mirror

How small businesses are making education more accessible online

EDUCATION

TANYA McCLEAN THERE is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has seen a massive surge in online education, but according to two South African tech companies, the focus should also be on the quality of education and the science of learning. Zibuza.net is an online community platform for teachers which was developed by Marvel Technologies founder, Malcolm Mooi who said that while their platform was for teachers to share, collaborate and improve professional development, his team had to rapidly expand it to learners and their parents during lockdown. Mooi, a computer system engineer left the comfort of the corporate bubble…

Feb

04

2021

By The African Mirror

Kenya school gives second chance to teen mums forced out of classes

EDUCATION

AYENAT MERSIE THE sounds of baby coos and teenage giggles punctuate the lessons at Serene Haven Secondary, a school nestled into a hill below cloud-ringed Mount Kenya. Here, 17 teenage mothers and pregnant girls - many of whom were forced out of their local schools - are getting a second chance to finish their education. In a normal year, stigma, logistics and money compel around 13,000 pregnant girls to drop out, government data show. That is likely to spike this year. COVID-19 lockdowns shut schools and fuelled an increase in adolescent pregnancies and sexual abuse, aid agencies say. Emily, a…

Feb

09

2021

By The African Mirror

How to help your children with maths you don’t understand

EDUCATION

SCHOOL closures have left many parents in charge of overseeing their children’s education at home. If you are one of them, you might be struggling with maths in particular – not least due to having to grapple with topics and techniques you are unfamiliar with, such as number bonds, abundant numbers, chunking and more. DAVIDE PENAZZI, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, University of Central Lancashire But this is where a positive mindset, and the ability to accept that you are also on a learning path, can help. Here are some tips on the best way to tackle teaching maths you don’t…

Aug

07

2021

By The African Mirror

What studying history at school can do for Nigerians

EDUCATION

History was removed from the Nigerian school curriculum in 2009 – supposedly because students avoided the subject, graduates didn’t have job prospects and teachers were scarce. But Nigerians weren’t happy with the decision and it has now been reversed. The government has directed that history should be taught as a standalone subject from the 2020/21 academic session. The Conversation Africa’s Wale Fatade asked Ayodeji Olukoju, a professor of history, about the value of studying the subject. AYODEJI OLUKOJU, Distinguished Professor of History and Strategic Studies, University of Lagos Why should young Nigerians study history at school? Many scholars and commentators…

Feb

13

2021

By The African Mirror

COVID-19 has dealt a blow to Ethiopia’s private higher education institutions

EDUCATION

ETHIOPIA’S education sector has seen unprecedented challenges since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools and universities were closed for eight months following the confirmation of the first case on March 13, 2020. This put nearly 26 million primary and secondary school students, and around a million tertiary students, out of learning. WONDWOSEN TAMRAT, Associate Professor, St. Mary’s University Over the past few months, the effects of the pandemic have been pronounced in the private higher education sector whose resource base and capacity is too limited to withstand the impact of a crisis of this magnitude. Private higher education institutions…