EDUCATION - The African Mirror

Jul

27

2024

PhDs are important for South Africa’s growth: more support for doctoral candidates who work full-time is key

EDUCATION

SOUTH Africa’s government and higher education sector have invested a lot of time and money over the past two decades to enhance the country’s research output and cultivate the next generation of researchers. Though there has been some progress, South Africa still isn’t close to its National Development Plan target of reaching 100 PhDs per one million people by 2030. By 2021 the rate stood at 59 PhDs per million people. A doctoral degree is the highest academic qualification awarded by universities. Obtaining a PhD means a researcher has advanced knowledge in their field and credibility in academia. These qualities…

Jul

25

2024

By TSITSI MAVAMBE and NHLANHLA MPOFU

Not all children read at the same pace – Namibia study shows how teachers can help those falling behind

EDUCATION

READING is a powerful tool. It introduces children to new ideas. It shapes their academic journey and progress. It also equips them with skills to navigate the world, both at school and beyond. Sadly, it’s estimated that more than 202 million children and young people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have age-appropriate reading, writing and numeracy skills. The region’s youth literacy rate (for people aged between 15 and 24) stands at about 77%. The global rate is 95%. Namibia performs above the regional average, with a youth literacy rate of 91.5%. But challenges persist. Many children with language barriers and…

Jul

19

2024

By CARMEL TADDEO and BARBARA SPEARS

What can you do if you think your teen already has unhealthy social media habits?

EDUCATION

MANY parents are worried about how much their children use social media and what content they might encounter while using it. Amid proposals to ban teenagers under 16 years from social media and calls to better educate them about being safe online, how can you tell if your child’s social media use is already a problem? And what steps can take to help if there is an issue? It is easy to get hooked These platforms are designed in a way that releases dopamine (the “feel-good” hormone) for users. This can make it especially difficult for adolescents to resist. As…

Jul

18

2024

By THANDI LEWIN

Higher education faces many challenges in South Africa: 3 priorities for the new minister

EDUCATION

WHEN South African president Cyril Ramaphosa named Nobuhle Nkabane as the minister of higher education on 3 July 2024, many people I know in the sector had to Google her name. Dr Nkabane had been deputy minister of mineral resources and energy since August 2021. Nkabane enters an arena that’s ready for new political leadership and has senior figures who are ready, willing and able to work with her. Universities South Africa, which represents the country’s 26 public universities and has a clear-eyed view of the sector’s priorities, has welcomed Nkabane’s appointment. She will need this kind of support: in…

Jul

16

2024

By EILEEN SCHECKLE

Thinking aloud: what happens when children read for pleasure in classroom clubs

EDUCATION

EVERY five years, the International Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) provides an assessment of how well grade 4 learners around the world read for meaning. And every time South Africa participates, the results are shocking. In the 2021 survey, more than 80% of South African fourth-graders weren’t able to make sense of what they were reading in the test. Policymakers have focused attention on developing literacy in the foundation phase (grades 1-3) because the skills developed during these early years will form the basis for learning in the higher grades. But that’s not the only way to approach…

Jul

04

2024

By MARIAN SELORM SAPAH

Ghana’s schools don’t teach enough about geoscience: why kids need to know how the planet works

EDUCATION

OVER the last few decades Ghana has seen a rise in environmental degradation such as pollution, deforestation and land degradation. These have been driven by urbanisation, industrialisation, carbon emissions and waste burning. Environmental problems have an impact on public health and the economy. One path to finding solutions is geoscience education, but it’s lacking in the curriculum of Ghana’s schools. Geoscientist Marian Selorm Sapah has published research on the subject. She explains that geoscience education is closely related to everyday experiences, and it can help develop the skills that people need to make wise decisions about the world we live…

Jun

19

2024

By The African Mirror

Girls usually read better than boys. Why this isn’t the case in some African countries

EDUCATION

IN most parts of the world, girls outperform boys in reading. Girls are more likely to read at or above the expected level of proficiency for their grades compared to boys. There are several reasons for this. Girls have been found to have more natural aptitude for and interest in reading than boys; they tend to read more; and they are more likely than boys to be encouraged to read. But assessments in sub-Saharan Africa have found that the trend is reversed in some countries in the region. The anomaly in sub-Saharan Africa suggests that girls in these countries may…

Jun

13

2024

By The African Mirror

University of the Free State confers honorary doctorate on former SA Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

EDUCATION

THE University of the Free State (UFS) has conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Deputy President of South Africa, for her outstanding contributions to education, human rights, and gender equality. The University of the Free State (UFS) conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Deputy President of South Africa. Mlambo-Ngcuka was awarded the Doctor of Philosophy in Education (honoris causa) in recognition of her lifetime achievements, which have had a profound impact on the country and the world. The private ceremony was attended by close family, friends, and former colleagues. The Honorary Doctorate is a…

May

29

2024

By ISRAELI DEBORAH FRY

We found over 300 million young people had experienced online sexual abuse and exploitation over the course of our meta-study

EDUCATION

IT takes a lot to shock Kelvin Lay. My friend and colleague was responsible for setting up Africa’s first dedicated child exploitation and human trafficking units, and for many years he was a senior investigating officer for the Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre at the UK’s National Crime Agency, specialising in extra-territorial prosecutions on child exploitation across the globe. But what happened when he recently volunteered for a demonstration of cutting-edge identification software left him speechless. Within seconds of being fed with an image of how Lay looks today, the AI app sourced a dizzying array of online photos of…

May

14

2024

By The African Mirror

Malawi’s school kids are using tablets to improve their reading and maths skills

EDUCATION

MALAWI introduced free primary education in 1994. This has significantly improved access to schooling. However, the country – which is one of the poorest in the world – still faces a high learning poverty rate of 87%. Learning poverty is a measure of a child’s inability to meet minimum proficiency in reading, numeracy and other skills at the primary school level. Malawi’s rate means that 87% of children in standard 4, at age 10, are unable to read. Only 19% of children aged between 7 and 14 have foundational reading skills and 13% have foundational numeracy skills. This leads to…