Education and Culture

Children are the hope and future of the nation. Consequently, the Southern African Catholic Bishops, express their deep concern about the current crisis effecting schools in the Eastern Cape Province. Access to education is a matter of simple justice for each child - and it is incumbent on Government to provide it without fail.

Written by Jonathan Jansen

You come into leadership at a difficult time in our country's history. You have seen the wanton violence of youth as they destroyed the inner-city of Johannesburg around Luthuli House.

You have heard a resurgent racial rhetoric in our country that once again threatens to divide us.

You have felt the rage of the poor and unemployed who feel they are not being heard by their local authorities.

Written by Jonathan Jansen

The road trip into rural Umkomaas is deceptively beautiful.

You drive along a winding road surrounded by green hills looking down on the spectacular ocean below. This is the land that Alan Paton wrote about.

On this warm morning in rural KwaZulu-Natal, you remind yourself that the rest of the country is shivering in the bitter cold of a concluding winter.

The year is 2044. The government of the day establishes a commission of pro-regime so-called "experts" who for some reason believe that they can literally plan the country out of trouble.

The planning commission eventually releases a "diagnostic" report that makes the astounding discovery that "the quality of education for poor black South Africans is sub-standard".

The nation expresses shock at this remarkable finding; the media "talking heads" heap praise on the minister of planning for her remarkable insight.

Written by Jonathan Jansen

The wrinkled old man addressing the captains of finance and insurance on the shiny upper floors of Alexander Forbes in Sandton was not supposed to be there.

Better rehabilitation is needed for young offenders to improve literacy and make them employable, the correctional services commissioner said today (June 20).

About a quarter of inmates were either completely illiterate or semi-literate and only 15 000 had been able to access pre-adult basic education and training in correctional centres during the 2010/2011 financial year, Thomas Moyane said in an opinion piece.

Written by Lulamile Feni

A Mthatha high school has again scooped a national award as the top performing mathematics and science school in the Eastern Cape.

St John’s College recently received the award from the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) in conjunction with the national Department of Basic Education as part of the Brilliants Programme-NSTF-BHP Billiton Awards.

Written by Jonathan Jansen

There is a nasty story doing the rounds about a dedicated teacher who died and arrived at the pearly gates, to be offered a tour of the various mansions in heaven.

She saw a block of the most beautiful mansions, and the archangel confirmed that the noisy guys in white coats were doctors living there because of their dedicated service to mankind. Around the corner the newly arrived teacher saw an even more impressive block of mansions.

Written by Jonathan Jansen

By the previous weekend the alumni had already sent their predictable text messages: "You can lose all your rugby matches, but not this one."

It was the annual rugby clash between alternately cousins and arch-enemies, the University of the Free State (UFS) Shimlas against the North West University (NWU) Pukke. The tension was palpable, the grandstand was full. Even the Varsity Cup mascots looked edgy.

Written by Graeme Bloch and Yoliswa Dwane

Anyone who marched this Human Rights Day alongside 25000 to 30000 pupils would have been inspired by their energy and disciplined determination. On a day of intense heat, not a bottle or stone was thrown. Uniformed pupils from suburbs in Cape Town, and some parents and teachers, assembled on the Grand Parade to put forward a simple demand: "We want the children to read! Build more school libraries, stock them with books and appoint a teacher to run each library."