September 18, 2022
Nigeria: Nigeria's Endless Lecturer Strikes - Insights From Some Essential Reads
One thing that is synonymous with public universities in Nigeria is strikes. Since 1999, the public university system has lost about 57 cumulative months to industrial action. This… Read more »
September 12, 2022
Zimbabwe: Informal Sector Plays a Key Role in Skills Development but Gets No Recognition
The informal sector plays an important role in the development of skills among Zimbabwe's disadvantaged groups, and should be recognised as an alternative training path for those… Read more »
September 08, 2022
Nigeria: 17 Strikes in 23 Years - A Unionist Explains Why University Lecturers Won't Back Down
Lecturers at Nigeria's public universities have been on strike 16 times since 1999. On 14 February 2022 they went back on strike to make it the 17th. Only 11 of Nigeria's 59 state… Read more »
September 02, 2022
Ghana: Modern Slavery - How a Drama Project Educates Communities Through the Stories of Survivors
An estimated 40.3 million people around the world are trapped in slavery. One in four victims are children, with women and girls affected most. Modern slavery occurs when people… Read more »
August 30, 2022
Africa: Back to School - Time to Revisit Strategies for Child and Family Mental Health
The last two years have been far from normal for children and families. As households prepare for back-to-school, there can be some apprehension of what the year will bring. Read more »
August 29, 2022
South Africa: Covid Was a Setback for Indigenous Languages - Lecturers On What Went Wrong
South African indigenous languages are among those at risk of a serious decline due to the increasing use of digital technologies. By some estimates only 5% of the world's… Read more »
August 24, 2022
Nigeria: New Universities in Nigeria? Absolutely Not
Public university lecturers in Nigeria have been on strike since 14 February 2022. One of their biggest issues is that the institutions they work for are poorly funded. Despite… Read more »
August 23, 2022
South Africa: A South African University Publisher Makes It to 100. A Rare and Important Event
In the past month, my email has served up two contrasting examples of the state of scholarly publishing in African countries. The one was an invitation to celebrate the centenary… Read more »
August 22, 2022
Africa: Tips On How to Help Innovative Ideas Get Wings - From Universities to Businesses
Slowed economic growth and high unemployment almost seem the norm across Sub-Saharan Africa. There are many factors that has caused this including varying skills levels, low levels… Read more »
August 17, 2022
Africa: Academic Freedom and Democracy in African Countries - the First Study to Track the Connection
There is growing interest in the state of academic freedom worldwide. A 1997 Unesco document defines it as the right of scholars to teach, discuss, research, publish, express… Read more »
August 16, 2022
South Africa: Mobile App Offers New Learning Tools for Anatomy Students. but Tech Isn't a Silver Bullet
For most people who finished school or university even a decade ago, the idea of virtual reality in the classroom probably seems like the stuff of science fiction. But immersive… Read more »
August 11, 2022
Africa: Mature Students in Universities Face 3 Kinds of Barriers - Here's How to Address Them
Since the onset of the pandemic, many colleges and universities have reported record numbers of applications from mature students - adults who return to school on a part- or… Read more »
August 09, 2022
Africa: How Can You Support Kids With ADHD to Learn? Parents Said These 3 Things Help
COVID lockdowns and home schooling seemed never-ending for a lot of families. But there were some silver linings. Read more »
August 02, 2022
South Africa: Bilingual Education Can Work in South African Schools - Here's How
From the fourth year of schooling, the majority of South African schools teach all subjects in English only. The devastating learning consequences of this for children who speak… Read more »
July 28, 2022
Africa: School Feeding Programmes Are Great Value for Money
Hundreds of millions of children worldwide attend class every day. With such a wide reach, schools can effectively deliver a vast array of interventions such as immunisations and… Read more »
July 26, 2022
Nigeria: Why the Hijab Controversy Persists in Nigeria's Public Schools
Hijab use in Nigeria's public schools has become highly controversial, in some cases leading to riots, fatalities, the destruction of school property and the closure of schools.… Read more »
July 21, 2022
South Africa: Schools Can Be a Great Resource for Mental Health in South Africa
In the face of deep inequality, unemployment, high rates of crime and violence, and the social and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health trajectory for… Read more »
June 29, 2022
South Africa: Media Literacy Education Can Help Combat Fake News - Here's What's Needed
Online platforms are replete with examples of false information - from WhatsApp messages punting some miraculous cure for COVID, to social media posts claiming a politician said… Read more »
June 27, 2022
Africa: Dealing With Unruly Behaviour Among Schoolchildren in a Tumultuous World
COVID has left a lasting impact on education in a number of ways. Deficits in learning may never be fully redressed; backlogs, delays and more complexity in university admission… Read more »
June 23, 2022
Kenya: How Degree Requirement for Top Political Posts Turned Into a Fiasco
The rush for academic credentials is nothing new ahead of a Kenyan election. Candidates are challenged about the existence or validity of their university degrees, and controversy… Read more »
June 19, 2022
Congo-Kinshasa: How Patrice Lumumba's Assassination Drove Student Activism, Shaping the Congo's Future
During a recent visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), King Philippe of Belgium made a speech to the national parliament in Kinshasa expressing his "deepest regrets" for… Read more »
June 09, 2022
Nigeria: Nigeria's University Strikes - Winners, Losers and Ways Forward
Lecturers in Nigerian public universities have embarked on strikes 16 times since 1999. Cumulatively, the public universities have lost about 50 months of their academic calendar… Read more »
June 05, 2022
South Africa: Covid Left South African Pupils Far Behind in Maths and Language Skills
Learning to read, write, count and calculate forms the basis for all other learning in school and beyond. Pupils start to learn these basic skills in the first three years of… Read more »
May 31, 2022
South Africa: Here's How Much Learning South African Children Lost in the Pandemic
When a state of disaster was declared in South Africa in 2020 in response to the COVID pandemic, a hard lockdown was instituted and schools were shut. This was followed by varying… Read more »
May 26, 2022
Kenya: Climate Change Isn't a Priority for Universities. It Should Be
Universities can play a vital role in shaping change in societies. They produce knowledge through research, train future decision makers, and contribute to public awareness of… Read more »