October 12, 2023
South Africa: Census Reveals 5.2 Million Children of School-Going Age Aren't Receiving Education
Since 1996, the number of people in South Africa in the 5-24 age group not attending school increased from 5.09m to about 5.4m (26.6%), Census 2022 has revealed. Read more »
September 30, 2023
South Africa: Business Leaders Join Principals in Plan to Transform South Africa's Ailing Education System
The Execs Back to School programme goes beyond physical improvements and providing resources to schools, it seeks to instil a mindset of continuous improvement and growth within… Read more »
September 26, 2023
South Africa: Learning to Read in a Mother Tongue Is Key to Improving SA's Literacy Rates, Says Foundation
At first, the Zenex Foundation believed that helping learners in Mathematics and Science was the best way to address the education crisis. Then it realised that, first, it needed… Read more »
September 17, 2023
South Africa: Nonprofit Organisation Leads the Charge to Flush Pit Latrines Out of Schools
Breadline Africa, in partnership with investment banker Mark Barnes, is raising R156-million to replace dangerous pit toilets at 240 schools in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. Read more »
September 13, 2023
South Africa: University of Venda Student Protests Triggered By New NSFAS Payment System Enter a Third Day
Student protests at the University of Venda in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, continued for a third day on Tuesday, with incidents of violence disrupting operations inside and outside the… Read more »
September 04, 2023
South Africa: Lead Poisoning Responsible for 21% of Educational Differences Between Poor and Rich Countries - Study
New research shows that lead poisoning is hindering children's mental development and dragging down their school marks in subjects like maths. The problem is overwhelmingly… Read more »
August 27, 2023
South Africa: Thuli Madonsela Embarks On 300km Pilgrimage of Hope to Raise Money to Pay Off Disadvantaged Students' Debt
The former public protector and a group of supporters walked 300km to raise money to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds pay their debts to Stellenbosch University. Read more »
August 14, 2023
South Africa: Western Cape Education Department Urges Learners to Go Back to Class After Taxi Strike
The Western Cape Education Department has called on parents to ensure their children go back to school after the taxi strike, which on one day saw 71% of learners miss classes. Read more »
South Africa: Experts Concerned Over Low Throughput Rate of Grade 10s to Matric
The National Advisory Council on Innovation has registered a concern over the Grade 10 throughput rate and warned that the government's target of 75% of university academic staff… Read more »
August 10, 2023
South Africa: Unisa Vice-Chancellor's Fate in the Balance After Nzimande Plans to Put Institution Under Administration
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande wants to place the University of South Africa under administration and is awaiting the university council's response. Read more »
August 07, 2023
South Africa: Taxi Strike Impact - Almost Half a Million Learners Blocked From Western Cape Schools
A matric learner at a taxi rank is told - 'We told you to stay home. Go back home and sleep!' She is among the 456,020 learners who were prevented from getting to school on Monday… Read more »
July 25, 2023
South Africa: UCT Students and Staff Protest Against Anti-Gay Academic Patrick Lumumba At EFF Event
Students protesting in support of the LGBTQI+ community against Kenyan Professor Patrick Lumumba's lecture at an EFF 10th anniversary event on Monday clashed with supporters of the… Read more »
June 26, 2023
South Africa: Stellenbosch University Convocation Vote Is a 'Win for Transformation' and 'Tolerance'
Earlier this month, members of Stellenbosch University's convocation voted to remove members of its executive committee, including its president, Jan Heunis. Numerous convocation… Read more »
June 13, 2023
South Africa: Nonprofit Help2read Steps in to Help Save a 'Lost Generation'
Education nonprofit help2read is placing the youth at the centre of their approach to South Africa's reading crisis. By employing young people from local communities as literacy… Read more »
June 19, 2023
South Africa: ANC Government Has Consigned Countless SA Children to a Lifetime of Catch-Up and Struggle
To fully understand the neglect of our children by the ANC government, we need to consider that it is in fact driven by a particular kind of prejudice against children. Not benign… Read more »
June 04, 2023
South Africa: President of Stellenbosch University Executive Committee Resigns After Convocation Vote of No Confidence
At a meeting on Thursday 1 June, the Stellenbosch University convocation tabled two motions of no confidence. They voted against all members of the executive committee of the… Read more »
May 23, 2023
South Africa: National Reading Plan to Be Revised As SA Grapples With Poor Early Grade Learner Literacy
Efforts by the Department of Basic Education to revise its National Reading Plan are under way, with officials pushing a 'refined focus' on early childhood and African home… Read more »
May 22, 2023
South Africa: Behind UCT Council Chair Babalwa Ngonyama's Resignation
UCT Council Chair Babalwa Ngonyama announced in an email on Monday that she is resigning from her role, citing her concerns about a panel tasked by the council with investigating… Read more »
May 21, 2023
South Africa: A Proposal to Upskill the 81 Percent of Grade 4 Children in South Africa Who Can't Read
We propose that the Treasury provides an additional conditional grant to enable provincial education departments to ensure that improving reading skills is adequately and equitably… Read more »
May 17, 2023
South Africa: PIRLS Findings Point to a Lame-Duck Minister of Education and a Generational Catastrophe
The Pirls results from 2016 showed that 78% of Grade 4 children couldn't read in any language. This week we learnt that that number had escalated to 81% in 2021, wiping out a… Read more »
May 16, 2023
South Africa: New Reading Study Shows South African Grade 4 Pupils Perform Worst of All Participating Countries
The new Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study (Pirls) 2021 reading results show that South African kids perform the worst of all participating countries, with the… Read more »
South Africa: International Study Shows Most Grade 4s in South Africa Cannot Read for Meaning
The results of the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study show that 81% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa are unable to read for meaning in any language. Education… Read more »
South Africa: CPUT Concludes Residence Evacuations Amid Chaos and a Fatal Bus Crash
The Cape Peninsula University of Technology is quiet following last week's chaos that forced the university to close all campuses. Read more »
May 12, 2023
South Africa: Cape Peninsula University of Technology Closes Campuses After Violent Protests, Arson
The Cape Peninsula University of Technology has closed its campuses, postponed an Open Day scheduled for Saturday, 13 May and cancelled all its operations and activities after… Read more »
May 08, 2023
South Africa: 'It's Creating Havoc' - Western Cape Library Headache Persists Five Months After System Crash
The computerised database used by Western Cape libraries crashed in November 2022, but the operating system has yet to be fully restored, causing administrative problems for many… Read more »