EDUCATION - The African Mirror

Jun

19

2024

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…

May

11

2024

By TAWANDA MAKUSHA

Becoming a dad can be scary. Here’s how to be the best father for your kids

EDUCATION

IT is natural to feel apprehensive about the responsibilities that come with parenthood – the financial obligations, the emotional and practical support, and the lifelong commitment. And parenting takes many forms. In my case I became a father for the first time in 2013. In my new role, I was forced to weave together my academic expertise – I research fatherhood and early childhood and development, among other things – with real life. Entering fatherhood was a profound and transformative experience. From the moment conception was confirmed, I faced many emotions. Amid the joy and anticipation, there was fear. I…

May

05

2024

By THANDI LEWIN

South Africa’s national student financial aid scheme has helped millions but is in trouble: here’s why

EDUCATION

THE board of South Africa’s National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has been dissolved by the country’s higher education and training minister, Blade Nzimande, and the organisation placed under administration. Nzimande made the decision because of “(the problem of) non-payment of (students’) allowances”. Thandi Lewin is a higher education scholar who worked in the Department of Higher Education with responsibility for oversight of NSFAS between 2018 and 2023. She also briefly served as a departmental representative on the NSFAS board in 2018. The Conversation Africa asked her to explain the organisation’s history, its mandate and the current crisis. What is…

Apr

30

2024

By AYOBAMI PRECIOUS ADEKOLA

Talking to teens about sex: advice for parents on when, how, what to say and why it’s so important

EDUCATION

THE “birds and the bees”. The “facts of life”. Whatever you call it, many parents dread discussing sex and sexuality with their teenagers. They may be embarrassed, or worried that they don’t understand some concepts. In some countries, cultural norms may mean it’s considered inappropriate for adults and adolescents to talk about sex. However, these are conversations worth having. A large body of research has shown that teens who openly discuss sex and sexuality with their parents reduce their risky sexual behaviour, leading to improved reproductive health. It’s also important to remember that this won’t be a one-off discussion. Adolescents…

Apr

18

2024

By WACANGO MUGURO KIMANI

South African study shows the power of sharing daily experiences for teachers to learn how to include all learners

EDUCATION

GLOBALLY, more than 258 million children and young people between the ages of 6 and 17 are not in school. In South Africa, the figure stands at 232,000 for children aged between 7 and 17. The main reasons they’re not attending school are related to the quality of education, financial constraints, disability and child or teenage pregnancy. The notion of inclusive education focuses on ensuring that all children attend school and receive a good education. The first is a challenge for governments. The second is a challenge for teachers – but they don’t often get the support they need. Wacango…

Apr

17

2024

By EKATERINA RZYANKINA

Digital textbooks expand learning for engineering students – South African study

EDUCATION

IN the past four years, it’s become increasingly common for part or all of a university student’s learning to happen online. This transition to digital learning platforms has highlighted the digital divide within educational contexts. In poorer, less resourced and connected countries like South Africa, this divide is not merely a matter of who has access to digital devices and who doesn’t. It’s also about whether students are digitally literate. This is about more than merely navigating digital devices and platforms. It’s also about being able to think and evaluate information critically and to creatively use technology in problem-solving. Universities…

Apr

13

2024

By INGER FABRIS-ROTELLI, ANSIE SMIT, DANIELLE JADE ROBERTS, DANIEL MAPOSA, FABIO MATHIAS CORREA, MICHAEL JOHAN VON MALTITZ and SONALI DAS

South Africa is short of academic statisticians: why and what can be done

EDUCATION

OUR world is awash with data. A 2019 article published by the World Economic Forum estimated that, by 2025, about 463 exabytes of data will be created each day globally – that’s the equivalent of 212,765,957 DVDs per day. But data is only useful if it can be collected, analysed and explained by experts. That’s where statisticians come in. People like us are trained to make sense of data. Our analyses can then guide organisations and governments in making sensible policy decisions. Both “data scientist” and “statistics lecturer” feature on the South African government’s critical skills list. Due to the…