students - The African Mirror

Sep

2021

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

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…

Jul

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

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…

Jul

2021

By The African Mirror

Understanding Ghana’s students is key to fixing the country

EDUCATION

A great many African countries had shown steady economic growth in the decade prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But all have failed to adequately create opportunities for the young people in their countries. With growing youth populations, creating paths for education and employment is a make or break issue for the continent. KAJSA HALLBERG ADU, Researcher in Higher Education and Migration, KTH Royal Institute of Technology But there’s also good news. Many young people are getting access to secondary education and an increasing number also university education. An increasing share of youth in Africa are university students,…

Jul

2021

By The African Mirror

Parents plea for return of 150 abducted students

NEWS

DOZENS of distraught parents gathered at the Bethel High School in northwestern Nigeria, some weeping and crying out, standing in groups awaiting news about the 150 students who were kidnapped by armed men. Discarded sandals lay strewn nearby. Dormitories containing metal bunk beds and cupboards were deserted. "May God take away their tears and the suffering that they will face in the hands of the kidnappers," said a woman pointing at a hole in the school's perimeter where the attackers entered. His voice breaking, parent John Evans said he had recently told his daughter that God would protect her while…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Kids with a desk and a quiet place to study do better in school, data shows

EDUCATION

ASK what students need to learn at home, and the answer often involves access to Wi-Fi or a digital device. For example, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 sets aside US$7.1 billion to support access to high-speed internet for schools and libraries. DAVID RUTKOWSKI, Associate Professor of Education Policy, Indiana University DIRK HASTEDT, Executive Director IEA, Indiana University What often gets overlooked is whether kids have a desk at home or a quiet place to study. As researchers who focus on education policy and how students perform on standardized tests, we decided to take a closer look – on…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Disasters interrupt schooling regularly in parts of Africa: here’s a solution

EDUCATION

SCHOOLS are among the worst institutional casualties of complex disasters. This has been the obvious case with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Boko Haram insurgency and other violent conflicts in Africa, which have caused the suspension and destruction of schools. MARGEE ENSIGN, President, Dickinson College JACOB UDO-UDO JACOB, Visiting International Scholar in International Studies & Political Science, Dickinson College Countless schools have been damaged, closed or destroyed. Untold millions of students have been forced to suspend or to abandon their education because of violence or the pandemic. These disruptions have further blighted the already precarious educational foundation of the continent.…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Post COVID-19: opportunity for universities to have a rethink

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITIES have a long history of operating in environments that are unstable, disruptive and unpredictable. They’ve endured political upheavals, financial crises and disruptive trends such as digital transformation and globalisation. TAWANA KUPE, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University, University of Pretoria GERALD WANGENGE-OUMA, Director of Institutional Planning, University of Pretoria They’ve had to respond to demands for greater access, life-long learning and multiple competing demands from students, society, the state, industry and local communities. But the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and a more formidable challenge. The scope and scale of its challenges have multiple dimensions. In the South African context,…