EDUCATION - The African Mirror

Aug

05

2021

Why it’s time to break the cycle of reform and protest at Kenya’s universities

EDUCATION

THE recent announcement of wide-ranging reforms at the University of Nairobi predictably triggered a new bout of student protests. The cost-cutting reforms propose a smaller administrative team, the abolition of a third of its colleges and higher tuition fees. ISHMAEL MUNENE, Professor of Research, Foundations & Higher Education, Northern Arizona University The proposed reforms have also elicited protest from academic and administrative staff. They argue that the proposals are punitive and high-handed. Staff have voiced concerns over lack of consultation in the reform process. Students have threatened further protests and legal action over higher tuition fees. Constant disruption of learning…

Feb

19

2021

By The African Mirror

Will learners and teachers make up lost time?

EDUCATION

ZANDILE BANGANI IMPOVERISHED pupils attending under-resourced schools were unable to learn properly for much of 2020. The education department needs to do more to counter the learning gap caused by Covid-19. When the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, and South Africa subsequently went on lockdown, many of life’s activities had to stop. Schools had to close too. With school doors shut, learners began taking their lessons at home via e-learning channels. But not every school has had the means to extend digital services to their learners. Many are under-resourced and cannot…

Jul

30

2021

By The African Mirror

Resilience gives students an edge in rural African universities

EDUCATION

STUDENTS in rural African universities typically experience several challenges to do with poor infrastructure and a poor education foundation. CHINAZA ULEANYA, Researcher, University of South Africa As a way to deal with learning challenges, some scholars have suggested decolonisation of the curriculum. This implies replacing colonial content and practices with indigenous ones. Other scholars have suggested that other factors should be considered as part of the solution. Some of these factors include personal, family based, social, and institutional factors. I conducted research in two African countries to identify the common learning challenges that rural university students and their lecturers experienced…

Jul

28

2021

By The African Mirror

Setting goals to beat previous efforts improves educational outcomes. And the gains are bigger for disadvantaged students

EDUCATION

SETTING goals to try to outdo your previous best effort is known as growth goal setting or personal best goals. It is fundamentally focused on self-improvement, such as investing more time or effort in a task than before or striving to achieve a higher result in the next test than the previous one. ANDREW J. MARTIN, Scientia Professor and Professor of Educational Psychology, UNSW EMMA BURNS, Lecturer, Macquarie University KEIKO C. P. BOSTWICK, Research Officer, UNSW REBECCA J COLLIE, Scientia Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, UNSW Research over the past decade into approaches like these in education has shown it…

Feb

26

2021

By The African Mirror

A critical look at what’s missing from Muslim education in South Africa

EDUCATION

POLITICAL and social landscapes are shifting in most liberal democracies, and one of the issues coming under the spotlight is the purpose and legitimacy of faith-based schools. The South African Schools Act makes provision for the establishment of independent schools, which includes privately run and faith-based schools. NURAAN DAVIDS, Professor of Philosophy of Education, Stellenbosch University Muslim schooling in the country has its roots in the forced migration of slaves and political prisoners from Indonesia and the Indian sub-continent, which lasted until 1834. It has endured through different political milieus – colonisation, apartheid and now democracy – and a changing…

Jul

23

2021

By The African Mirror

School posts on Facebook could threaten student privacy

EDUCATION

LIKE many of us, schools in the United States are active on social media. They use their accounts to share timely information, build community and highlight staff and students. However, our research has shown that schools’ social media activity may harm students’ privacy. JOSHUA ROSENBERG, Assistant Professor of STEM Education, University of Tennessee As a researcher who specializes in data science in education, I and my colleagues came to the topic of student privacy unintentionally. We were exploring how schools used social media during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically March and April of 2020. In the course…

Jul

18

2021

By The African Mirror

Online learning can be hard for students with disabilities: how to help

EDUCATION

THE first case of COVID-19 in South Africa was reported in March 2020 and on March 15, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a series of lockdown measures to curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These included the closure of both basic and higher education institutions. SINDILE NGUBANE, Full Professor, University of South Africa NKOSINATHI ZONGOZZI, Lecturer, University of South Africa Because of the pandemic, most educational institutions, including universities, abruptly went online. Online learning management systems and platforms were consequently adopted. One such university was the University of South Africa, with more than 400,000 students. As an open distance learning…

Apr

07

2021

By The African Mirror

South Africa’s higher education funding system can be more realistic without betraying ideals

EDUCATION

ONGOING student protests in South Africa have once again highlighted various problems with higher education funding. They boil down to challenges of affordability and sustainability. GERALD WANGENGE-OUMA, Director of Institutional Planning, University of Pretoria State funding of universities is inadequate – it hasn’t kept pace with enrolment pressures and the increasing costs of providing higher education. Many students cannot afford to pay fees either. Yet the student financial aid system isn’t a reliable source of support. The result is tension among higher education’s three key actors – universities, the state and students (and society at large). They don’t seem to…

Apr

06

2021

By The African Mirror

How to keep Kenyan children in school longer: it’s not only about money

EDUCATION

THE school completion rate has emerged as one of the most pressing issues facing education in Kenya. Only 58% of pupils enrolled in the first year complete primary school. This proportion falls as they advance to higher levels. Even fewer complete secondary school. CAROLINE SABINA WEKULLO, Research scientist, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Leaving school early is associated with educational deficiencies that are likely to limit students’ social, financial and psychological achievement throughout their lives. Over time, this adds to the inequalities in society. Low retention and completion rates are also likely to cost Kenya scarce resources, challenge…

Jul

14

2021

By The African Mirror

How African countries can reform education to get ahead after pandemic school closures

EDUCATION

THE COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a historic shock to education, shuttering schools for over 1.6 billion children worldwide. This shock will worsen a pre-existing “learning crisis” in which many students in school were learning very little. The World Bank estimates that the percentage of children who are unable to read a simple sentence by age 10 could rise from 53% before the pandemic to 63% as a result of school closures. NOAM ANGRIST, Executive Director, Young 1ove, Fellow, University of Oxford These learning losses could stem from a combination of things: forgetting what was previously known, and missing what…