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Sudáfrica: Zuma studying report into feasibility of fee-free higher education

Sudáfrica/Agosto de 2017/Fuente: News 24

Resumen:  El presidente Jacob Zuma está estudiando el informe final de la comisión que investiga la viabilidad de una educación y capacitación gratuitas en Sudáfrica, dijo el jueves la Presidencia. «El presidente de la comisión, el juez Jonathan Heher, presentó el informe al presidente en su residencia Genadendal en Ciudad del Cabo», dijo el portavoz Bongani Ngqulunga en un comunicado. Después de estudiar el informe y sus recomendaciones, Zuma lo pondría a disposición del público. La comisión se estableció después de que los estudiantes universitarios de todo el país se embarcaron en una violenta protesta a nivel nacional de Honor Debe Caer hacia el final de 2015.

President Jacob Zuma is studying the final report of the commission investigating the feasibility of fee-free higher education and training in South Africa, the Presidency said on Thursday.

«The chairperson of the commission, Judge Jonathan Heher, presented the report to the President at his Genadendal residence in Cape Town,» spokesperson Bongani Ngqulunga said in a statement.

After studying the report and its recommendations, Zuma would make it available to the public.

The commission was established after university students from across the country embarked on a violent nationwide Fees Must Fall protests toward the end of 2015.

They were demanding free education following the proposed 2016 fee increments.

A number of students were arrested during the protests which saw some university infrastructure being damaged and torched.

Fees Must Fall activist Mcebo Dlamini is one of the students whose case is still pending.

He faces charges of violating a court order, public violence, assault, theft, and damage to property.

He briefly appeared at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and his case was postponed to September 7.

By April 2016, the department of higher education said the protests had resulted in over R300m in damages.

The department’s minister, Blade Nzimande, revealed in Parliament that 14 universities had submitted damage reports.

Zuma established the commission in January 2016, with an expectation to complete its task within eight months.

«However, after the amendment of its terms of reference, the commission was granted an extension to complete its work by June, 30, 2017,» Ngqulunga said.

Zuma expressed his gratitude to Heher and all members of the commission for the work done «that ensured the successful conclusion of the work of the Commission.

«He all the witnesses and stakeholders in higher education for their contribution and participation in the commission,» he said.

Fuente: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/zuma-studying-report-into-feasibility-of-fee-free-higher-education-20170831

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Cuba amplía colaboración educacional con Sudáfrica y Trinidad y Tobago

Cuba/24 agosto 2017/Fuente: Sputnik Mundo

Un acuerdo entre Cuba y Sudáfrica sobre servicios en la esfera educativa y la reciente confirmación de becas a universitarios de Trinidad y Tobago evidencian la voluntad de la isla de ampliar la cooperación en este campo, informó la cancillería de la nación antillana.

El entendimiento rubricado en Pretoria en noviembre de 2016 entró en vigor de acuerdo con lo pactado, por lo cual sus cláusulas ya rigen la cooperación en educación básica y la contratación de especialistas cubanos del Ministerio de Educación por el Departamento de Educación Básica del país africano, informó el sitio de la cancillería cubana.

Por otra parte, la semana pasada, el ministro de Educación de Trinidad y Tobago, Anthony García, agradeció a Cuba el otorgamiento de becas de medicina para estudiantes de ese país.Garcia encabezó junto al embajador cubano en ese país, Guillermo Vázquez, la ceremonia de entrega de las plazas pactadas, realizada en la sede de su cartera.

Ante los alumnos próximos a partir para formarse en la Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina (ELAM), ubicada a unos 25 kilómetros al oeste del centro de La Habana, el titular trinitense señaló a los educandos la importancia del momento histórico que viven y que deben sentir orgullo por su selección.

Vázquez, por su parte, reafirmó el compromiso de Cuba con el Caribe, la permanencia en el tiempo del programa de becas y otros proyectos de colaboración.

Ante viceministros, directores, funcionarios del Ministerio de Educación y familiares de los estudiantes, el diplomático resaltó la vigencia de la declaración de la V Cumbre Cuba-Comunidad del Caribe, efectuada en La Habana en diciembre de 2014.El embajador se refirió al ejemplo desde el punto de vista de la solidaridad del líder de la Revolución cubana, Fidel Castro, creador de la ELAM, plantel que ya graduó más de 28.500 médicos de 103 países.

Según las fuentes, durante la velada los estudiantes rubricaron el Código de Ética de los discípulos de la ELAM.

Unos 10.000 alumnos de 55 países, de los cuales el 75% son hijos de obreros y campesinos, se forman en la ELAM, donde además se preparan becarios de 104 comunidades originarias de América Latina, reseña el portal enciclopédico cubano Ecured.

Fuente: https://mundo.sputniknews.com/sociedad/201708221071758281-esfera-educativa-becas-cuba/

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África: Despair and depression at law school are real, and need attention

África/Sudafrica/Agosto del 2017/Noticias/https://theconversation.com/

 

Pursuing a professional degree can be extremely stressful for students, who often experience it as a time riddled with anxiety, uncertainty, fear and financial challenge.

The emotional health of law students was recently brought to my attention in an email from a student at the University of Cape Town’s law faculty where I am the dean. The student noted a perceived hyper competitive, overly demanding and alienating environment. This, he told me, was putting the mental health of some law students under severe strain. He stated that because of the atmosphere, “the use of anti-anxiety and antidepressant medication has become the norm amongst students” and alcohol is being consumed in alarming proportions.

The disturbing email had me pondering: was this an individual case of emotional distress or did it suggest a wider problem that required urgent attention? And what kind of attention? Is there something about law school in particular that drives its students to mental health problems and substance abuse? And, if so, how can it be addressed?

In seeking answers to these questions I first looked into the University of Cape Town’s policies and practices on addressing mental health and substance abuse. I then began an investigation into the issue of mental health among law students specifically, looking at South Africa and other countries. Though most of the rigorous, scientific research on the subject has been conducted in the US, it does offer some valuable insight into what’s driving the issue and how it may be addressed.

What we know

The American media has drawn attention to issues of substance abuse and mental health among law students and lawyers. One article written about the high instances of suicides among law students and lawyers cites a study by the American Psychology Association showing that lawyers are 3.6 times more likely to suffer from depression than non lawyers.

In 2014 a comprehensive study, The Survey of Law Student Well-Being, was conducted at 15 law schools across the US. It was designed to examine and address the incidence of alcoholism and drug use, as well as mental health concerns of law students. The study found that a quarter to a third of law students reported misuse of alcohol and drugs, as well as experiencing mental health problems.

What was particularly disturbing about the findings was that a sizeable group of the students experiencing problems were reluctant to seek help. The factors that stopped them included social stigma, potential threat to job status, financial reasons, the idea that they could handle the problem themselves, or not having the time.

At South African universities, the question of student emotional wellness has been acknowledged and examined in some depth. These studies do not focus on law specifically but anecdotal evidence suggest that some law students may be experiencing similar pressure, requiring both personal and professional support and care.

All the signs seem to suggest that there is something particular to the education and training of lawyers that makes students and graduates prone to mental health problems and substance abuse. But knowing how to intervene requires a better understanding of what is driving this disturbing phenomenon.

Stresses in law

Studying law is fulfilling, rewarding and fun. But law studies are also academically tough. Success is predicated on hard work, long hours and emotional persistence. The skills of successful law graduates include resilience, perseverance and the determination and capacity to succeed despite obstacles.

This is true of other professions, but law is distinct in a few key ways.

In many ways law operates as an adversarial system with clear winners and losers. The combative prosecutor, the shrewd defence lawyer, the ruthless negotiator, the tough judge – these are all images of the strong, successful lawyer. Learning law therefore feels combative, not collaborative. This leads to a culture of competitiveness in law school, where the pressure to emulate successful lawyers is strong.

The practice of lawyering is also a more public endeavour than in other professions. Lawyers are open to public ridicule.

And because law students have to certify that they are “fit and proper” persons to practice they may feel particularly constrained to demonstrate any emotional problem, fearing that it may have an impact on their ability to be licensed to practice. They may also perceive seeking help as a sign of weakness – anathema to the perceived image of the strong lawyer.

Where to from here?

In response to the mental health challenges of its students, the University of Cape Town is pursuing a revised mental health policy for students that’s responsive to their needs and attuned to issues of inclusiveness and care.

In the law faculty, in line with the broader university-wide initiative, we are focusing on the question of how to encourage students to seek help when they need it. This means making mental health services visible, accessible, affordable and socially acceptable.

We are also addressing the way we teach law. Some aspects of the legal profession are inherently stressful. But our aim is to develop a caring institutional culture as well as solid academic support structures.

Fuente:https://theconversation.com/despair-and-depression-at-law-school-are-real-and-need-attention-81351

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https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JY3Os4V8EQyMNxcNqHC2wEL1X3eLSet-fLICB8ScjbSLfv5N4sqfKqnSzwcDddyAI7Sk=s85

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África:The end of South African universities?

África/Agosto del 2017/Noticias/https://theconversation.com/

 

Jonathan Jansen, vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State in South Africa until a year ago, has written a book on the country’s higher education sector. As by Fire – The End of the South African University is one of a number of recent books that set out to make sense of the current crisis in South African universities.

The crisis began in early 2015 with the #RhodesMustFall protests and gained momentum over the course of 2015. These protests fuelled, and eventually overtook the national #FeesMustFall movement. The underlying economic, cultural and political issues that drove the protests remain largely unresolved.

As by Fire is structured around three main questions: What in fact happened? Why did it happen? And what does the protest crisis mean for the future of South African universities?

Jansen draws on his own experience as well as interviews with 11 vice-chancellors in the country. His conclusion is:

In a nutshell, there is no future, and

What we are witnessing is a full system meltdown.

There are several problems with Jansen’s apocalyptic thesis.

An irresponsible thesis

Firstly, for a scholar of Jansen’s calibre, the analysis lacks a broad comparative perspective. His main reference point is the story of failing universities on the rest of the continent.

Jansen doesn’t make any comparisons to student protests across the globe– in Hong Kong, Canada, Chile, the UK, the US and Turkey, to name a few. These were also characterised by occupations of leaderless movements, threats of violence by police and militant students, reassertion of identity politics in curriculum and political stalemate.

A more thorough comparative analysis of what is happening in South Africa in relation to continental and global trends could have led to a more constructive conclusion that posed a range of future scenarios instead of a single “no future” story.

The more serious problem with Jansen’s “no future” thesis is that it’s irresponsible. Someone of Jansen’s profile has tremendous power to shape the narrative. And how South Africans interpret the events of the past two years shapes how the sector will go forward. In other words, his conclusion has consequences. Why would academics stay if they believed Jansen’s predictions with the certainty that he projects them? Why would students apply? Why would donors invest?

In the final few paragraphs Jansen attempts to wave a small flag of hope by appealing to civic action under the banners of free education for the poor and the right to education for all. This is an unconvincing attempt to end the book on a happier note.

An important perspective on leadership

What the book does offer is a view of university leaders under crisis – a close-up, zoomed-in, largely unedited perspective of 11 VC’s “under fire”, in some cases, literally. This is why the book will be of interest to anyone in higher education management.

The extensive literature of higher education leadership and management needs more of this kind of “in the trenches” study – leaders describing in their own words what it feels like to be flattened between a rock and a hard place, managing competing and contradictory demands from all sides while always under the watch of an unsympathetic media.

The book presents a view of leaders in a lose-lose situation, required to make on-the-spot judgement calls. The reader gets a close-up view of the ways in which they worked tirelessly to defend their institutions and were battered from every side. And Jansen is right to expose the extreme pressure and the personal costs that the VCs and their families paid. The accounts expose both their vulnerability and their resilience.

Jansen concludes by arguing that what’s needed more than ever before is

university leadership that is both compassionate in speaking to the student heart and competent in leading our universities in a demanding world of teaching, research, and public duty.

The missed opportunity of the book is that Jansen doesn’t explicitly extract from his interviewees what that compassionate competence looks like. In retrospect, what do they think they did right? What do they regret? What did they learn as leaders in crisis about the complexities of leading a university community at this stage of South Africa’s democracy?

Rebecca Solnit, American activist and author of Hope in the Dark, writes of the times we are living in that

this is an extraordinary time full of vital, transformative movements that could not be foreseen. It’s also a nightmarish time. Full engagement requires the ability to perceive both.

What South Africa’s universities need from their leaders now is not prophecies of doom, but deeper reflection on the transformative potential of this difficult historical moment.

Fuente:https://theconversation.com/the-end-of-south-african-universities-82180

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El crecimiento del cibercrimen destaca la necesidad de planes de educación TIC a corto y largo plazo en Sudáfrica

Sudáfrica/15 de agosto de 2017/Fuente: https://bizwatchnigeria.ng

La séptima encuesta anual sobre las competencias en TIC de la Universidad de Ingeniería de Software (JCSE) mostró que Sudáfrica sigue estando a la zaga de otros países africanos, como Kenya, Nigeria y Egipto, en la capacitación en tecnología de la información y la comunicación y un énfasis en la contribución La tecnología contribuye al crecimiento económico. En el actual entorno de aumento de los ataques cibernéticos a nivel mundial, esto hace que la necesidad de mejorar nuestros ciudadanos sea aún más crucial, tanto a nivel corporativo como en nuestras escuelas.

Según Anton Jacobsz, director gerente del distribuidor de valor añadido Networks Unlimited, «los informes recientes de Australia muestran que una escasez de habilidades de ciberseguridad en ese país está poniendo en riesgo a los sectores público y privado, ya que no hay suficientes expertos La cibercriminalidad, y que el ciberdelito está en aumento en ese país. Una encuesta anual mostró que casi el 60 por ciento de las empresas en Australia había experimentado por lo menos un incumplimiento de seguridad por mes durante 2016, en comparación con sólo 23,7 por ciento el año anterior. Esta encuesta muestra de forma bastante definitiva que el ciberdelito está en aumento en Australia, y sin duda podemos extrapolar de esto la necesidad de estar en alerta de seguridad de cibercrimen en Sudáfrica también. Ningún país es inmune, como los ciber-ataques globales del ransomware – Petya y WannaCry, a finales de junio ya mediados de mayo respectivamente – demostraron recientemente. Sudáfrica experimentó trastornos de la misma manera que los países europeos y los Estados Unidos «.

Jacobsz dice que, dado los riesgos cada vez mayores de la ciberdelincuencia y la interrupción tecnológica que están experimentando todas las industrias hoy en día, la necesidad de educar es de importancia crítica. «Las industrias de hoy necesitan adoptar la innovación para hacer crecer su negocio y asegurar un flujo de ingresos constante, de lo contrario se convertirán, simplemente, obsoletas. En todo el mundo, la transformación digital está cambiando la manera en que las organizaciones hacen transacciones, desde transacciones manuales basadas en papel hasta totalmente electrónicas o totalmente digitales, y esto a su vez está abriendo oportunidades de delito cibernético. Mientras que discutible tenemos cierta manera de ir, Suráfrica sigue esta tendencia hacia el aumento digitilisation. Por lo tanto, es muy preocupante observar el mal desempeño de Sudáfrica, medido por la séptima encuesta anual de habilidades de TIC de la JCSE. Existe una clara necesidad de fortalecer a los ciudadanos del país «.

Jacobsz añade que las habilidades especializadas que abordan las nuevas tecnologías son muy buscadas a nivel mundial. «Hemos visto en Australia que el creciente nivel de amenazas en los negocios y el gobierno ha desatado una carrera de contratación reciente, con empleadores que ofrecen empleos a estudiantes de TI de todo ese país, y notablemente a menudo antes de que se hayan graduado. Esto, claramente, no es ideal. Para Sudáfrica, además de las prácticas internas y las tutorías, proponemos que los programas de estudios escolares incluyan la exposición y la capacitación de las competencias en materia de TIC para cada alumno. Esto debería comenzar tan pronto como el currículo de educación de la fundación del país, que es de Grado R a Grado Tres.

«Además, el currículo de TIC debe asegurar que los matriculados estén listos para trabajar cuando salgan de la escuela. Lo mismo ocurre con las universidades y los colegios – queremos que los estudiantes estén más capacitados prácticamente y no sólo teóricamente. En otras palabras, necesitamos un enfoque doble en la formación y educación de las TIC: elevar el nivel de cualificación de los empleados adultos en este momento, así como adoptar un enfoque a más largo plazo mirando a las escuelas e incluso a las instituciones terciarias «.

Jacobsz dice que, al mismo tiempo que Sudáfrica garantiza un enfoque más fuerte en la capacitación en TIC, también necesitamos asegurar una remuneración adecuada dentro de la industria. Él aclara: «Cuando pensamos en las crecientes habilidades de TIC y con ellas un fuerte enfoque de seguridad cibernética en Sudáfrica, necesitamos protegernos de una situación en la que nuestros más brillantes y mejores son saqueados por compañías extranjeras. Esto ha sucedido en Australia, donde ha habido un éxodo de experiencia. Aprendiendo de esto, en Sudáfrica necesitamos crear una situación en la que el mundo de la tecnología pueda ayudar con la creación de empleo y, a su vez, el desarrollo económico en curso dentro del país. Así que no sólo necesitamos entrenar a nuestros empleados de tecnología, sino que también debemos ofrecerles oportunidades de trabajo y salarios atractivos para mantenerlos aquí una vez que se hayan graduado «.

 Jacobsz dice que el aprendizaje en línea es una herramienta necesaria que debe utilizarse en la formación en TIC, tanto en el lugar de trabajo como en las escuelas. «En nuestra opinión, el aprendizaje en línea debe ser visto como una seria inversión socioeconómica que resulta en habilidades adicionales de la vida, así como habilidades de expertos. Lamentablemente, la realidad en nuestro país es insuficiente, o en muchos casos, no hay hardware, software o accesibilidad a los dispositivos de tecnología de la información en las escuelas, lo que conduce a una mayor brecha futura de mano de obra. A esto se suma que la educación de calidad sobre cómo utilizar la tecnología para el uso cotidiano es débil, algo que estamos viendo cada vez más al reclutar «.

Él concluye: «Además de buscar soluciones a corto plazo, apoyando a los empleados internamente a través de pasantías, tutorías y oportunidades de aprendizaje en línea, también necesitamos mirar nuestro currículo escolar. Aquí, tenemos que pensar a más largo plazo, comenzando a entrenar a los alumnos ya en la escuela. Si no abordamos la necesidad de capacitación en TIC en las escuelas, la falta de habilidades cibernéticas hoy en día sólo va a empeorar en el futuro «.

Fuente de la Noticia:  (Versión original en inglés)

Cybercrime growth highlights need for short- and long-term ICT education plans in South Africa

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KZN Education: School failed to properly deal with brutal school attack

 South Africa/August 15, 2017/ By: Ziyanda Ngcobo/Source: http://ewn.co.za

The KwaZulu-Natal Education Department says it’s established that the brutal attack on a pupil happened last November but the school failed to properly deal with the issue at the time.

In a video of the incident currently circulating on social media, a schoolboy can be seen pinning the girl against a wall before tripping her and then kicking her in the head and back several times.

Provincial education officials visited the Siyathuthuka School in Inanda on Friday.

KZN Education’s Muzi Mahlambi says the school did not investigate the matter properly last year and the department has now launched its own probe.

“Based on the findings of our investigation, we will then take appropriate and relevant action that needs to be taken. Obviously, with the perpetrator … he needs to be disciplined.”

Relatives of the victim, who was in grade 10 at the time of the incident, say they’re disappointed in police whom they claim failed to take action against the boy.

The family says this forced them to move the girl to another school.

The perpetrator has also changed schools since the incident but his whereabouts still need to be confirmed by the department.

Mahlambi says the person who took the video will be key in tracking down the boy.

“The one who’s laughing still goes to that school but when we went to his class, he jumped out of the window. That’s the boy we’re going to use to lead us to the other perpetrators.

The provincial Education Department says it will begin a new investigation on Monday.

Source:

http://ewn.co.za/2017/08/11/kzn-education-school-failed-to-properly-deal-with-brutal-school-attack

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Sudáfrica: SA teachers skip classes

Sudáfrica/Agosto de 2017/Fuente: News 24

Resumen:  Los alumnos pierden alrededor del 40% del tiempo de aprendizaje cada año en las escuelas sudafricanas porque los maestros suelen saltar clases, según un estudio del Consejo para el Desarrollo y la Empresa. El estudio, publicado el 1 de agosto y titulado Normas Profesionales de Profesores para Sudáfrica: El camino hacia un mejor rendimiento, desarrollo y rendición de cuentas ?, atribuyó la pérdida de tiempo de aprendizaje al fracaso del actual modelo de evaluación docente. IQMS). El informe dijo que el modelo de evaluación de maestros se había debilitado hasta tal punto que los maestros estaban obteniendo puntos de desempeño para asistir a las reuniones del personal y no para buscar ganancias tangibles para mejorar la enseñanza y el aprendizaje en las escuelas.

Pupils lose about 40% of learning time every year in South African schools because teachers habitually skip classes, according to a study by the Council for Development and Enterprise.

The study, released on August 1 and titled Teacher Professional Standards for South Africa: The Road to Better Performance, Development and Accountability?, attributed the loss of learning time to the failure of the current model of teacher assessment – the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS).

The report said the teacher-assessment model had been weakened to such a degree that teachers were getting performance points for attending staff meetings and not for targeting tangible gains to improve teaching and learning in schools.

“Teachers go shopping on paydays. They are doing extra jobs while they are full-time teachers,” an education expert who has knowledge of the report, but who has asked not to be named, told City Press.

The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in 2013 proposed that the Quality Management System (QMS) replace IQMS. “Until Sadtu has signed it off, it cannot be implemented. It has been watered down by government because of politics,” the expert said.

Accountability and leadership essential

The Council for Development and Enterprise commissioned researchers from the Joint Education Trust to look at the development of teacher professional standards in developed and developing countries. The study assessed the potential of teacher professional standards to improve teacher quality in South Africa.

The study proposed that government review IQMS and introduce teacher professional standards that have been implemented in a number of countries.

“Teacher evaluation in South Africa should be both formative [aimed at personal growth of a teacher] and summative [undertaken as part of performance review focusing on teacher accountability],” it proposed.

It said the evaluation should “appraise teacher performance, strengthen accountability and support professional development”.

It questioned QMS, saying it arguably suffered from a fundamental design fault. It recommended that the department of basic education (DBE) and provinces hold teachers accountable by maintaining a strict school timetable to avoid frequent skipping of classes.

It should institute a high level of managerial accountability and require teachers to be in class when they should to reduce the loss of learning time.

Although such moves were likely to be met with union resistance in forums such as the Education Labour Relations Council, the report said government should move from rhetoric to action on this matter using the deadlock-breaking mechanism provided for by law.

Commenting on the report, Rhodes University-based public service monitor head Zukiswa Kota said accountability and leadership were essential.

“The overall accountability and administration of schools, districts and the sector as a whole must see parallel changes to support the development of enhanced teacher-assessment practices in a sustained way.”

Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said allegations that the union had not signed the IQMS were not only false, but malicious.

“The IQMS was signed and … Sadtu proposed a review of the IQMS in order to deal with its weaknesses. Sadtu proposed QMS to strengthen the role of the principal or deputy principal, which was overlooked by IQMS.”

DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said: “The department supports processes that have the potential of raising the bar of teacher performance, encourage professional development and enhance accountability. The recommendation in the report requires further consultation with the relevant stakeholders in education.”

A dialogue on strengthening teacher professionalism was addressed by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga last week and parts of the report were discussed.

Fuente: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/sa-teachers-skip-classes-20170812

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