Education

School marked for closure gets it right

Peak View Secondary School in Bridgetown, Athlone was one of 27 schools marked for closure by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). Nearly two years later Peak View's matric results are top in its district.

Sibusiso Tshabalala

News | 8 January 2014

Improving teaching and schools: an interview with the leaders of Equal Education

Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, is expected to adopt minimum norms and standards for school infrastructure at the end of this week.

GroundUp Staff

News | 27 November 2013

“How do you expect 550 boys to share six toilets?”

The bell rings for break time, triggering a mad rush for the toilet. Many learners won’t make it in time. After all, “how do you expect 550 boys to share six toilets … when there is only one break?”

Brad Brockman

Opinion | 26 November 2013

Toward a more realistic NDP - start with education and jobs

It is two years since the first authoring of the National Development Plan (NDP), and over a year since the delivery of the revised plan by the National Planning Commission (NPC). To speed up progress, we must stop squabbling over which parts of it to implement and focus initially on education and labour-intensive industries.

Ayal Belling

Opinion | 21 November 2013

How to break the backlog in primary education

Jack Lewis explains how we can quickly make radical improvements to primary school education.

Jack Lewis.

Opinion | 18 November 2013

Parents take out loans for matric dances

Parents every year complain about the demands grade 12 learners have for their end of the year matric dances.

Pharie Sefali

News | 13 November 2013

Daily grind of a Zimbabwean mother

Nancy Muzembe, originally from Zimbabwe, struggles against all the odds to give her son a good education.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 29 October 2013

Empowerment through art

Hand in Hand Creatives (HHC) is a not-for-profit organisation (NPO) that aims to provide young people from disadvantaged communities with access to the creative arts through workshops, running outings, and planning festivals. The organisation believes that the arts can empower individuals and nurture self-respect.

Fergus Turner

News | 16 October 2013

Rocklands Primary School pioneers sustainability in education

It is a bright, sunny October morning in Mitchell’s Plain. At the Rocklands Urban Abundance Centre, situated on a strip of land next to Rocklands Primary School, volunteers are hard at work tending to the plants and seedlings in the tree nursery.

Delphine Pedeboy

News | 15 October 2013

Everything you need to know about funding your post-matric studies

Getting funding for post-matric studies is very important for many students. There are many ways to get funding, whether through a bursary or loan. While you don’t have to pay a bursary back, you do need to pay a loan back.

Kesia Lilenstein

News | 9 October 2013

Success against the odds for Khayelitsha learner

At this time of the year, grade 12 learners are busy preparing for their final exams; an exciting but stressful time in their lives. For 21-year-old Athenkosi Ngqunguza, a grade 12 learner from Thembelihle High School in Khayelitsha, studying is not the only challenge he faces. He has been living alone since he was 19, with no adult supervision or financial support, yet he has still remained one of the top students in his school.

Nwabisa Pondoyi

News | 9 October 2013

We need to change how we think (and talk) about social grants

On September 30, the government announced the second increase this year in disability grants, old age pensions, care dependency grants and war veterans' pensions. These increases will come in addition to the child support grant and grant-in-aid increases, which were already budgeted for in March. Although the increase is only R10, it will equate to a R41 million increase in government spending per month.

Gabrielle Kelly

Opinion | 7 October 2013

Blind sidelined by Department of Trade and Industry

South Africa’s draft intellectual property policy fails to make any mention of the most progressive copyright treaty in years. Blind and visually impaired people will pay the price if this is not rectified in the final policy.

Marcus Low

Opinion | 2 October 2013

Letter from a learner

My name is Bayanda Mazwi and I am 17 years old. I am currently doing grade 11 at the Centre of Science and Technology (COSAT) in Khayelitsha. I live with my parents and my two younger siblings in the informal settlement of Monwabisi Park in Khayelitsha.

Bayanda Mazwi

Opinion | 2 October 2013

Khayelitsha parents march for quality education

As the country was celebrating Heritage Day, about 300 parents, teachers and members of Equal Education (EE) marched from different points in Khayelitsha to Site B Hall. They wanted to draw to the attention of Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga the need for quality education for their children and to have standards set for school infrastructure.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 30 September 2013

Fewer learners fed after feeding tender goes BEE

Since the Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA) lost a tender by the Department of Education’s National School Nutrition Programme to deliver a school feeding service, two schools are complaining that the service has decreased, and learners are hungry.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 26 September 2013