Story writing exhibition at University of Pretoria’s Education Library

As part of Library Week Celebrations the Education Library of the University of Pretoria recently hosted an exhibition of Stories written and compiled by Early Childhood Education students in 2008. These stories were entered in a competition sponsored by Oxford University Press. The stories form part of a Story Reading Project which has run for [...]

“Fruitless debates based on bad information”

According to Luis Crouch, Senior Economist, Research Triangle Institute (USA), “every now and then South Africa’s education opinion leaders seem to get caught up in fruitless debates based on bad information, or badly-digested information. The tendency to misunderstand the nature of the issues seems to have erupted again, recently, with debates around dropout issues. But [...]

What is behind South Africa’s high university dropout rates?

A recent article released by Moneyweb touches on the reasons for the high dropout rates at South African Universities. The article refers to recent information released by Higher Education SA (HESA), a Section 21 company representing all 23 public universities in South Africa, that the dropout rate escalated alarmingly in recent years, and is hitting highs of up [...]

Reasoning is the most preferred method of disciplining in SA schools

Reasoning and discussion is the most preferred method of disciplining in South African schools, a Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) study revealed recently. The study by Mbithi wa Kivilu and Muchiri Wandrai is titled ”Spare the rod and save the child, most South Africans believe”.
The study  investigated changes in attitudes towards methods of disciplining school pupils among [...]

Prof Jonathan Jansen appointed as rector of University of the Free State

Professor Jonathan Jansen, previous dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria, and a renowned education academic, is to become the first black leader of South Africa’s University of the Free State.  It seems appropriate that a much-published scholar who has probed racism and reconciliation in recent books will lead a university that [...]

SA government is considering extending 3 year university degrees to four years.

Since 1994, access to universities for poor students in South Africa has grown phenomenally. Enrolment of (mostly disadvantaged) African and mixed-race students rose by 268% in the decade to 2006. But in the face of low pass rates the debate has moved on from access to success, and government is considering extending three-year degrees to [...]

A huge increase in new education students at SA universities

For the first time in years South African universities are experiencing a marked increase in the number of students wanting to become teachers.
Universities showing a marked increase in student numbers from last year included the University of Pretoria from 789 to 1224; the University of KwaZulu-Natal from 548 to 701; Wits University from 400 to [...]

Top South African Journals to go open access

A new project modelled on the Brazil-based Scientific Electronic Online Library (SciELO),  aims to put African research on the map by providing free access to a range of South Africa’s top academic journals. The South African Journal of Science will lead the way, becoming the first high profile open access journal by the end of March.
Robin [...]

ANC government plans to split the Department of Education

ANC Secretary-general Gwede Mantashe confirmed during a meeting of the Progressive Business Forum, that the ANC government that is installed after the election, plans to overhaul the education ministry, splitting it into two or three separate ministries under different ministers.
This means that one minister will focus solely on the schooling system, and another will look with a specialised focus at tertiary education institutions, [...]

Distance Education and Teacher Education in Africa Conference 3-5 August 2009

The Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, University of Cape Coast and the University of Education, Winneba in Ghana and the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) are arranging a Distance Education and Teacher Education in Africa (DETA) Conference from 3 – 5 August 2009 at the University of Cape [...]