Protests against debt escalate. By Julia Evans and Joseph Chirume. After attempting to meet with University of Johannesburg (UJ) management, over 100 students led by the South African Students Congress (SASCO) and the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFF SC) marched along Kingsway Avenue and blocked University Road outside the Auckland Park campus. The students said […]

Masizame Junior Primary School in Centane near Butterworth, Eastern Cape, has one broken toilet for girls and teachers. The boys have no toilet at all. Masizame Junior Primary School in Centane near Butterworth has 175 learners and one broken toilet. Several grades have to share a classsroom. When the wind blows too hard, classes are […]

The university says there are over 1,600 students with debt, amounting to R88 million… By Ashraf Hendricks UCT students marched to the Kramer Law building to protest against financial exclusion. The action follows protests by students in Johannesburg this week over the same issue. UCT says there are over 1,600 students with debt at the […]

In the aftermath of the police killing of a bystander, Mthokozisi Ntumba, during a student protest on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa says the South African government will not abandon its students. Addressing the National House of Traditional Leaders in Parliament on Thursday, the President said: “We will not abandon our students. We will fund their […]

The university has previously said that only students who have less than R10,000 debt could register. By Masego Mafata.   Wits students are demanding that all students be allowed to register regardless of how much they still owe the university. Wits University has previously said that only students who have less than R10,000 debt could […]

Lebohang Ngake from Botshabelo in the Free State has received raving reviews for a video he created introducing the popular TANKS coding game in a fun, creative way. “We know that our target audience is learners, and therefore we are extremely excited with the video Lebohang created,” says Prof Jean Greyling from Nelson Mandela University, […]

South Africa’s Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, has spoken frankly about the ongoing struggle with the price of school uniforms as parents around the country battle to make ends meet. “This is very close to my heart and I think anybody who comes from a poor background – like ourselves – or a township will […]

Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, will announce the results of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in Pretoria on Monday. The matric exams concluded on 15 December 2020 after a strenuous academic year. The release of the matric results have been approved by Umalusi, the Quality Council in General and Further Education and Training. […]

An amazing initiative is making a difference in South Africa where there’s a huge need to learn coding without requiring computers, which so few have. Over 16,000 of the 25,000 schools in the country do not have computer labs, and consequently, the workshops are focusing on “CODING UNPLUGGED”, referring to the fact that coding can […]

Dozens of learners come running when Phakamisani Primary School principal Xola Faku calls through a loudhailer, telling them their lunch has arrived. It is midday on Wednesday in the informal settlement of Qolweni, in Bitou, and for many learners at the school this is the only meal they have during the day. Phakamisani Primary School […]

The Department of Basic Educations says several provinces have completed the marking of Grade 12 exam papers ahead of schedule, and that results will be released on time. According to the department’s Assessment and Examination Director, Priscilla Ogunbanjo, over 90% of centres, which were scheduled to finalise the marking of scripts on Friday, have already […]

Higher education is the latest sector in South Africa to delay its re-opening dates with 16 universities still finalising their academic year. Addressing the media on Monday, Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, announced that universities will start the academic year between early-March and mid-April. The re-opening of higher education institutions is […]

The Department of Basic Education has made the decision to delay the opening of schools by two weeks, announced Dr Reginah Mhaule, Deputy Minister of Basic Education, in a media briefing on 15 January. This decision includes both public and private schools, including those private schools that have already opened. School management teams (SMT’s) will […]

The South African Government has issued the following Amended School Calendar / Agenda for 2021, for all learners. Updated 9 February 2021: You can download the latest agenda here. 

A solar-powered computer lab in the Overberg town of Barrydale has opened up new opportunities for learners and students who have little or no access to the internet. The lab was set up in November by Net vir Pret, in partnership with the University of Cape Town’s Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation (SHAWCO) and […]

Prof Jean Greyling and his team from Computing Sciences at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth has received the Vice Chancellor’s Excellence Award, in the category “Engagement Project”. This follows on the Innovation Excellence Award also from the Vice Chancellor in 2019. Prof Greyling is very passionate about introducing learners to software development as a […]

The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has today set aside the decision to rewrite the Mathematics Paper 2 and Physical Sciences exams, following a leak of the exams papers. Judge Norman Davis ruled in favour of AfriForum and the organisation’s co-applicants who were four matriculants. The court ruled that the decision of Minister Angie […]

About 70 parents, teachers, learners, and community members gathered at Heathfield High School in Cape Town on Wednesday night to support the principal, who faces disciplinary action after refusing to open the school during the Covid-19 pandemic peak. The principal of Heathfield High School in Cape Town, Wesley Neumann, faces a disciplinary hearing from today. […]

For the first time in South Africa’s history, matriculants will sit for a national rewrite of two examination papers after they were leaked. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga made the announcement during a media briefing on Friday where she provided an update on the progress of the 2020 matric examinations. “Having considered all of these […]

South Africa’s Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, has invited the public to join the National Reading Coalition’s first virtual book club reading session, which will be launched on 14 December 2020.   At the launch of the virtual book club, readers will discuss the book, Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. “The objectives of this reading session are […]

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is calling on the Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi to ensure that 41,156 Grades 1 and 8 learners that have not yet been placed for the 2021 academic year are placed before 10 December 2020. According to Lesufi, the department has received 220 000 online applications for Grades […]

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, says the department is working tirelessly to salvage what is left of the academic year after the COVID-19 pandemic affected learning institutions across the globe.   Speaking during a media briefing on Thursday, Dr Nzimande said the pandemic and national lockdown caused serious disruptions to the […]

South Africa’s Department of Basic Education (DBE) confirmed it will investigate circumstances around a leaked Mathematics Paper 2 “fully and thoroughly”. The department said, using its examination protocol, it will identify the learners that may have had access to the leaked maths paper, and depending on the outcome of its investigation, affected schools may be […]

The Basic Education Department has reviewed its COVID-19 exam protocols to allow learners who test positive for the Coronavirus to sit for their final matric examinations. The DBE previously issued a set of guidelines, which indicated that learners who were COVID-19 positive would not be allowed to enter the exam centre. Following a petition by […]

As the world celebrates World Animal Day this weekend, South African current affairs show Carte Blanche investigates why a facility virtually on the doorstep of SA’s famous Kruger National Park has been allowed to open.   You can watch the show on Sunday 4 Oct in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it overseas […]