Education

The UNISA v Afriforum case is a victory for the development of languages in tertiary education

This brief follows the brief titled “Away from colonialism or not? The Constitutional Court is to decide an important Unisa v Afriforum case on language policy at University level in terms of section 29(2) of the Constitution”.

What is a fair trial according to the European Court on Human Rights?

This brief discusses the right to fair trial in light of the contemporary debate on the definition of a ‘trial’. It considers the matter from an international perspective, particularly in terms of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as interpreted by the European Court on Human Rights. Fair trial rights are divided into civil and criminal. The brief argues that the right to a fair trial requires a competent tribunal to adjudicate a matter with fairness and natural justice.

The Covid-19 Epidemic And Primary School Education III – Remote Learning

This is the third of a series considering the delivery of education during Covid-19. It considers remote learning as a complement to contact learning until a time when we have reached recovery from the virus.

The Covid-19 Epidemic And Primary School Education II – The Impact On Learning Outcomes

This is the second of three briefs discussing the delivery of primary education during covid-19, primarily in Quantile 1 to 3 in schools. The previous brief pointed out the unpredictability of the virus and its impact on school contact time. In this brief, we look at the impact on learning outcomes and consider the possible effect of the rollout of the vaccine.

The Covid-19 Epidemic And Primary School Education I – Priorities

This is the first of three briefs discussing the delivery of primary school education during Covid-19, concentrating on Quantile 1 to 3 schools. These briefs emphasise two points: the first is the need to prioritise safety in schools in relation to the spread of the infection and the second is to prioritise the importance of learning over other school activities.

Away from colonialism or not? The Constitutional Court is to decide an important UNISA v Afriforum case on language policy at University level in terms of s 29(2) of the Constitution

This brief explores the review case currently in the Constitutional Court on language policy at the University of South Africa. This case touches on issues of transformation at tertiary level as it affects university culture and representation.

South Africa’s Community Education and Training Colleges

In this brief, Charles Simkins examines the state of community education and training colleges (CETCs) and their plans for development.

Democracy And Popular Political Norms In South Africa II - How Coherent Are Popular Political Norms?

The first brief in this series considered the extent to which popular political norms coincide with constitutional norms. This brief will discuss the coherence of popular norms, and considers whether these popular political perceptions fit into distinct categories.

Democracy And Popular Political Norms In South Africa I - To What Degree Do Popular Political Perceptions Correlate With Basic Constitutional Norms?

This brief is the first in a series of two. It considers survey evidence of popular South African political perceptions, analysing the degree to which they conform to or differ from basic constitutional norms. The second brief will discuss whether these popular political perceptions fit into distinct categories.

TVET colleges ought to be an integral part of post-schooling in South Africa. This brief explores the current status of these colleges and the environment they operate in.

Youth Brief 5 delineated the main features of the transition from education to work in contemporary South Africa. This brief considers evidence on the stability and quality of employment.

This brief is the first of a pair considering the transition from education to work among young people. It delineates the main features of the transition. The second brief will consider evidence on the stability of employment.

This brief outlines recent proposals from the Department of Basic Education on adding a third skills and vocational stream to the school system. Details have yet to be worked out, and the process will not be easy, but it is clear already that the third stream will have implications for currently uniform Grade 1 to Grade 9 education.

He [the Statistical General] said parents were better skilled compared with their children, arguably owing to changes in the education system after 1994. “What we know is that the nursing schools, the teacher training schools and where people used to do trades, [those] schools were closed and they were converted into part of the university system. The net result has been they, those who are 15 to 34, do not have the skills of their parents, so hence the skills crisis, in part, in the country.” – Mail and Guardian, 18 June 2014

Youth Brief 1 described the structure and objectives of the National Senior Certificate system. This companion brief discusses published National Senior Certificate outcomes.

This brief is the first in a series which will discuss the circumstances in which young people live. Some briefs will be supported by technical reports which set out additional detailed information for those interested in it. The first brief will consider the objectives and the extensive structure of the National Senior Certificate system. The second will deal with published information on National Senior Certificate outcomes.

This report contains four tables supporting the Youth Briefs 1 and 2, headed “STRAIT IS THE GATE: THE MATRIC CONUNDRUM”.

The previous brief outlined the procedure for admission to learners in Gauteng public schools. The current regulations date from 2012, and parts of them have been contested in court. This brief sets out the issues.

This is the first of two briefs on regulations governing entry into Gauteng’s public schools. It deals with the system as it has been since 2012. The 2012 Regulations have been challenged in court up to the Constitutional Court.

This is the first of three briefs on the unrest in universities. It deals with its extent and costs. The second deals with the economic and fiscal context within which university and student financing has to be considered. The third deals with prospects for resolution.

The first brief in this series discussed the extent and costs of the recent unrest in universities. This brief describes the economic and fiscal context within which student and university financing has to be considered. The final brief will deal with prospects for resolution.

The first brief in this series discussed the extent and cost of the unrest in universities. The second described the economic and fiscal context within which university and student financing has to be considered. This brief deals with the prospects for resolution.

This brief looks at the changes effected by amending the Higher Education Act.

Anele Mtwesi looks at the basics needed to deliver equal opportunity with respect to education.

This Brief discusses the Maiden's Bursary Scheme and issues around virginity testing

Anele Mtwesi looks at the current higher education funding crisis and government's inability to address the 'missing middle'.

The first two briefs in this series were entitled “Principles of Student Financing 101” and “The University Funding System”. The second brief identified two things which need to be done immediately. This brief sets out options for consideration in the longer term.

This brief is the second in a series on university finance. The first was titled “Principles of student financing 101” and it can be found on the HSF website (www.hsf.org.za). This brief sets out the structure of university funding and considers the rising cost of university education to students as a whole.

A considered look at the problems plaguing access to student finance and university tuition.

Exploring Culture Wars in Universities focusing on behaviour of students in such universities.

City Press reported on 29 June [1] and IOL reported on 10 July 2014 [2] that the Gauteng MEC for education, Panyaza Lesufi, plans to merge former Model C schools with township schools. This is new. The Gauteng Department is smoking. The HSF has observed the smoke signal and we are trying to interpret it. In our efforts, we have posed ourselves the following questions:

This brief provides a breakdown of the events leading up to the Rivonia Primary School case and a brief analysis on what the outcome of the case means for schools. 17 October 2013

This brief examines the National Development Plan’s (NDP) vision and policy proposals on the reform of the education sector in South Africa.

It is widely accepted that education plays a vital role in lifting people out of poverty, empowering women and children, and promoting human rights and democracy. This brief aims to define the right to basic education in South Africa