Bulelani Dyomfana

Unisa wants to phase out Afrikaans as a language of teaching and learning and the Constitutional Court is set to make a  decision on the matter today. But is revising the university's language policy unconstitutional? 

Two pupils in Mpumalanga have been suspended for assaulting a fellow learner. It's claimed the assault occurred after the pupil refused to join a group, known as Izikhothane.

The community of Phuku Village Sekhukhune, Limpopo has been left devastated after three of its pupils were murdered. The three children's bodies were discovered a few weeks after they went missing 

A grade 6 teacher was fatally shot at a school in Philippi, Cape Town on Tuesday. It is believed that the incident is related to a troublesome pupil who had been sent to the principal's office by the teacher.  

SADTU has raised concerns about the looming austerity measures that have been introduced by the treasury department to the education sector. With the most notable being the R6.4 billion budget cut on KwaZulu-Natal's education department.

South African Democratic Teachers Union has expressed its discontent with the current payment arrangements for Grade R practitioners. The Union said while it celebrates that public servants have received their non-pensionable cash gratuity, this has not been the case for Grade R practitioners.

As part of its efforts to engage its staff and students on the issue of mandatory vaccines, the University of Cape Town held two events this past week to discuss mandatory vaccines. 

An engineering lecturer at the Mangosuthu University of Technology has been suspended following allegations of sexual harassment. MUT has issued a statement in response to the allegations against the lecturer.

Department of Basic Education in Limpopo will have to submit a revised plan to eradicate pit toilets. This follows a High Court ruling on Friday that declared its current plans for pit toilets as unconstitutional.

On 23 July 2021 Higher Education Minister officially launched the Covid-19 vaccine rollout programme in the post-schooling education and training sector (PSET). Listed below are some of the colleges that are still forging ahead with their vaccination programs.

The issue around whether vaccination should be mandatory in higher learning institutions has led to student bodies taking a united stance against the idea. They believe that universities should instead address the underlying issues around why some students do not want to get vaccinated.

The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme is a support and funding model for underprivileged students that fall under the categories of "Poor" and "Missing Middle". But is it a loan? 

The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme is a multi-year programme that serves to promote teaching as a profession, meaning that it is made available to students who are enrolled for teaching qualifications. But what does it cover for Unisa students? Read more to find out. 

The KZN Department of Education is investigating an alleged contravention of Disaster Management Act regulations at a Durban school. A pupil who had tested positive for COVID-19 was allegedly allowed to enter the school to write examinations.

The provincial education department in KwaZulu-Natal is in dire straits as it may have to retrench 4000 educators due to a reduction of its budget. The KZN Education Department budget has been cut by R6.3 billion despite already dealing with a massive shortage of teachers.

The country's basic education sector has had to endure several challenges since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, these include repeated lockdowns, an attempted insurrection and massive budget cuts. Reporters take a closer look at the current state of the and what might measures have been taken to stabilise the situation.   

Suspended ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule's foundation has been unresponsive as the government seeks to help students the foundation sponsored to study in Turkey. The students who have been in Turkey on a study grant since 2017 were evicted from the Bogazici student residence after the foundation failed to pay rent.

The school dropout rate is expected to surge in South Africa over the next few years if urgent interventions are not put in place. Education experts have also pointed that literacy rates are already declining.

The Basic Education sector has been burdened by a variety of issues due to the Covid-19 pandemic including learning losses, teacher shortages and the poor management of schools. MEC Panyaza Lesufi admits that these are prevalent issues but says that certain measures may have to be taken for solutions.

The recently released matric exam timetable has been amended to accommodate the upcoming local government elections. This means matriculants will be writing their first exam sooner than expected.