insert_link South Africa BOSA Pushes Petition to Raise Matric Pass Mark to 50%. Build One South Africa has launched a petition urging Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube to scrap the minimum matric pass mark from 30-percent and increase it to 50-percent. The petition argues that a 30-percent pass mark for subjects at matric level undermines the intellect of South Africa’s youth, and allows for the entrenchment of mediocrity and low expectations. BOSA’s acting spokesperson, Rogers Solomons, says a meagre 30-percent pass hurts […] today9 January, 2025
insert_link South Africa EFF aims to introduce a Student Debt Cancellation Private Member’s Bill in Parliament In S.A, the EFF says it will introduce a Student Debt Cancellation Private Member’s Bill in Parliament. From 2017 to 2024, national student debt grew from around eleven-billion-rand to approximately 17-billion-rand, averaging an increase of two-billion-rand each year. The EFF’s, Sihle Lonzi, says the bill seeks to clear all student debt and establish a qualification registrar, which will be a central government body that takes over the distribution and […] today9 January, 2025
insert_link Namibia Education Transformation Gains Momentum with Reform Strategy Implementation The Education, Arts, and Culture ministry has unveiled its 7-year Implementation Plan for the Education Reform Strategy. The plan follows recommendations from the 2022 National Conference on Education, Arts, and Culture, aiming to address systemic challenges in the sector. Key objectives include infrastructure upgrades, curriculum modernization, and digital learning expansion to enhance equitable access. The ministry also emphasizes professionalizing teaching to improve the quality of education across all levels. today22 November, 2024
insert_link South Africa S.A. Begins Implementing Basic Education Laws Amendment Act S.A's Basic Education minister Siviwe Gwarube says her department has started with the implementation of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Act into law in September but agreed to hold the implementation of two contentious clauses while discussions take place around addressing the impasse. Gwarube says they are still awaiting the presidential-led process on clauses four and five, which deal with language and admission policies: […] today7 November, 2024
insert_link Namibia LPM’s Mootu Criticizes Mid-Term Budget as “Missed Opportunity” Utaara Mootu of the Landless People's Movement criticized the mid-term budget, calling it insufficient for addressing the nation's pressing economic and social issues. She raised concerns about delayed unemployment data, claiming it leaves voters uninformed. Mootu emphasized that housing, education, agriculture, electrification, and SME support require urgent, transformative action rather than continued promises. She concluded by urging the government to prioritize meaningful reforms that provide justice and dignity to citizens. […] today31 October, 2024
insert_link Science & Technology Is AI a Blessing or a Curse? Ronald Sangunji Weighs In By Dilia Mazula As the tech industry progresses, it triggers questions and debates regarding the potential risks, particularly concerning AI. Fears mount over the potential harm that could arise if AI falls into the wrong hands and is wielded for malicious purposes. Numerous online reports have investigated AI's capacity to manipulate and potentially deceive humans, with Deepfakes emerging as a concerning trend. Governments are increasingly apprehensive about […] today15 May, 2024
insert_link Namibia Oshikoto region considers trimester system return for schools The Directorate of Education, Arts, and Culture in the Oshikoto region and its stakeholders have proposed the re-introduction of a trimester system for schools from 2025 onwards. The concerns of the semester revolve around the length of the semester, fatigue among learners, and difficulty in curriculum planning. Here is the Executive Director of the Ministry Sanet Steenkamp. today13 May, 2024
insert_link Africa Should Kenya abolish all school exams? Expert sets out five reasons why they’re still useful By Beatrice M’mboga Akala, University of the Witwatersrand The role of examinations in Kenyan schools is under scrutiny. This is because there is a lot that is wrong with the country’s examinations, a situation that threatens to derail education gains made over the decades. For instance, for two consecutive years – last year and the year before – the periods during the country’s national examination period were marred by […] today18 January, 2024
