Nigeria: Nigeria's Low-Cost Private Schools Are the Only Option for Millions - Is Closing Them a Good Idea?

Nigeria's basic education landscape consists of public (government) schools and a diverse private sector. Private schools in Nigeria refer to educational institutions that are run… Read more »

Africa: Distance Learning Changes Lives, but Comes With Its Own Challenges

Across Africa, distance education has become one of the most powerful forces for expanding access to higher learning. Open and distance learning institutions such as the Open… Read more »

Southern Africa: School Violence Doesn't Happen in Isolation - What Research From Southern Africa Is Telling Us

School violence is a global public health phenomenon. This is when learners and teachers are the victims of physical and psychological abuse, cyber threats and bullying, fights,… Read more »

Sudan: How a Sudanese University Kept Learning Alive During War

The civil war in Sudan began in April 2023, causing death, hunger, displacement and destruction on a huge scale. Gihad Ibrahim, head of e-learning and senior manager at Mashreq… Read more »

South Africa: Boys, Bullying and Belonging - Understanding Violent Initiation At a South African School

Violence among learners in South African schools is a pressing concern. The minister of basic education told parliament in 2025 that hundreds of bullying cases had been reported in… Read more »

South Africa: South African Students Still Don't Feel Safe On Campus - How Protection Can Be Stepped Up

Students at South African universities have to deal with a disturbing reality. They face the threat of violent crime, in particular gender-based violence. They also battle with… Read more »

Africa: University Ranking Systems Are Being Rejected. African Institutions Should Take Note

The Sorbonne University, founded in Paris in 1253 and known globally as a symbol of education, science and culture, has just announced that, starting in 2026, it will stop… Read more »

South Africa: One in Three South Africans Have Never Heard of AI - What This Means for Policy

Artificial intelligence or AI uses computers to perform tasks that would normally have needed human intelligence. Today AI is being put to use in many aspects of everyday life,… Read more »

South Africa: Hunger Among South African Students - Study Shows Those Studying Remotely Need Financial Aid for Food

The spectre of food insecurity unfortunately haunts many households in South Africa. Read more »

Kenya: We Created a Support Programme for Schools in Nairobi's Informal Settlements - What We Learned

Access to school is considered to be better for children who live in urban areas than in rural areas in countries such as Kenya. But research shows that this access doesn't… Read more »

South Africa: Chalk and Talk Vs. Active Learning - What's Holding South African Teachers Back From Using Proven Methods?

As a full-time teacher completing a PhD part-time, I made a decision early on: do research that speaks to the daily realities of teachers and teaching. And so, the idea came from a… Read more »

South Africa: South Africa's Student Debt Trap - Two Options That Could Help Resolve the Problem

Education is widely regarded as the road to a better life. Yet the rising cost of tertiary education means many students can only go to university if they get financial aid,… Read more »

South Africa: Talking About Sex Isn't Always Easy for Teachers in South Africa. Here's What They Told Us

Young people in rural Limpopo, the South African province bordering Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, face high risks of HIV, unplanned pregnancy, and other societal challenges. Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Public Spaces Neglect the Country's Rich Cultural Traditions - Why This Matters

Open spaces such as parks, gardens and public squares play an important role in city life. They offer places where people can relax, meet others, and take part in community… Read more »

Africa: Elite Schools in South Africa - How Quiet Gatekeeping Keeps Racial Patterns in Place

In South Africa, children's admission to a particular public school is decided by province. Each provincial education department manages its own digital admissions system. The… Read more »

Somalia: Somalia's Education Crisis - Why So Few Children Attend School and What Could Be Done to Change That

Around 98 million children and youth in sub-Saharan Africa are out of school, accounting for nearly 40% of the global out-of-school population. This is disproportionately high,… Read more »

South Africa: South African Learners Struggle With Reading Comprehension - Study Reveals a Gap Between Policy and Classroom Practice

South African learners consistently struggle with reading comprehension, performing poorly in both international and local assessments. A significant issue is that 81% of grade 4… Read more »

Nigeria: A University Bookshop in Ibadan Tells the Story of Nigeria's Rich Publishing Culture

Driven by a desire to explore Nigeria's literary and cultural history beyond the metropolis of Lagos, I took a road trip to Ibadan, once the most important university town in the… Read more »

South Africa: Learning Statistics Through Story - Students Get Creative With Numbers

Statistics professor Johan Ferreira was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of "screen time" involved in online learning in 2021. He imagined students must be feeling the same way,… Read more »

South Africa: South African University Programmes to Support Black Students Aren't Working. What Needs to Be Done

Most universities and colleges have formal and informal programmes and initiatives to support student and staff development. Their goal is to create learning experiences that help… Read more »

Ghana: University Graduates in Ghana Must Serve Society for a Year - Study Suggests It's Good for National Unity

Almost 70 years after independence was gained across the continent, many African countries continue to face the complex task of managing ethnic diversity and building national… Read more »

South Africa: Bullying, Violence and Vandalism in Primary School - Study Explores a Growing Crisis in South Africa

South African primary schools are facing a crisis. Every day, learners fight, bully, destroy property, and intimidate other learners and teachers, turning what should be safe… Read more »

South Africa: Fun With Fossils - South African Kids Learn a Whole Lot More About Human Evolution From Museum Workshops

South Africa has one of the world's richest fossil records of hominins (humans and their fossil ancestors). But many misconceptions still exist regarding human evolution, and… Read more »

Africa: Can Academics Use AI to Write Journal Papers? What the Guidelines Say

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to "intelligent machines and algorithms that can reason and adapt based on sets of rules and environments which mimic human intelligence". This… Read more »