HIGHER EDUCATION NEWS

BRICS Education Ministers sign cooperation agreement

 

Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande has signed a joint agreement with BRICS education ministers to develop a solid framework for future cooperation in education.

© Komkrit Suwanwela – 123RF.com

The agreement was signed in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, 19 November 2015, and includes areas such as general education, educational policy strategy, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and higher education.

It also commits the BRICS partners - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - to support joint research projects, encourage more collaborative programmes at post-graduate, doctorate and post-doctorate levels and co-publishing of scientific results by BRICS universities.

Minister Nzimande said a process was already underway to nominate 12 South African universities to participate in the BRICS Network of Universities, which will be anchor universities for collaboration.

"The department has established a national coordinating committee comprising government and members of the academic community to play an oversight role on the establishment of the BRICS Network," Minister Nzimande said.

Significantly, Minister Nzimande said, the agreement stresses the role of TVET colleges in attracting young people to the labour market.

"We want to collaborate to improve the quality of teaching and teachers' education. The collaboration means that we recognise the establishment of the BRICS Working Group on TVET to develop national reports, share concepts, methods and instruments of analysis matching workforce demands and supply for BRICS member countries.

"South Africa is on the whole satisfied with the issues tabled, and I think we should also find a way of foregrounding issues relating to TVET as this is one of the key strategic areas for our countries as BRICS.

"The TVET sector has the potential to unlock economic opportunities for our young people, and thereby assist to address the challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty that affect our communities," the Minister said.

The agreement follows a meeting in Brazil earlier this year, where member states agreed to promote the strengthening of internationalization of higher education and academic mobility, vocational and technical education, as well as to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Posted on 20 Nov 2015 11:33

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING NEWS

USB strengthens SMMEs with sponsored business programme

 

The University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) is strengthening small businesses in townships with a sponsored Small Business Academy (SBA) programme. Recently, 20 small business owners in townships of the Greater Cape Town area received their certificates for the successful completion of the course. The top students were acknowledged at the ceremony.

Top students, Aashiqa Essop and Phumlani Dlongwana

Top Student - Aashiqa Essop, a mother of three, achieved the highest mark. She is the owner of the automotive electronic workshop, Magic Worx, which she runs together with her husband from their home in Brackenfell. Working in a very male-dominated industry has certainly not deterred Aashiqa, in fact, it has made her work even harder.

Business with the most potential - Philippi small business owner Phumlani Dlongwana is making a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions of landfill sites in the City of Cape Town. In addition, by doing so he is creating a sustainable livelihood for some members of poorer communities with his Waste to Food business. Applying advanced technology and earthworm hammocks, his business converts food waste and clipped garden waste into compost. 

The SBA programme offers workshops and lectures in financial and business management, in labour legislation and HR issues, marketing, customer service and the use of social media. Each participant is mentored by an alumnus of USB - an approach that has proved to be one of the most valuable benefits of the programme. 

Entries are now open to townships in the greater Cape Town area for the 2016 intake. Applications must be submitted by 29 January 2016. For full information, go to www.usb.ac.za/sbaor contact Benji Matshoba on + 27 (0) 21 918 4379 or sba@usb.ac.za.

PRIMARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION NEWS

Product offering geared towards improving the quality of education

 ISSUED BY: IMPAK

Impak, a leading curriculum and service provider, has introduced a new offering to the education market - it has made its innovative education solutions available to schools as a product-only option.

"While we pride ourselves on providing our national network of registered schools with a comprehensive product and service offering, we realise that a need for quality learning material exists outside of our network," says Stefan Botha, CEO of Impak. "To help address this need, we are now offering our products to schools who are not registered Impak centres." 

The company's products only offering to schools include:

• Leading-edge CAPS aligned curriculum: Impak offers curriculum in over 170 subjects in both English and Afrikaans from Grade R to Grade 12, and provides learners with all the tools they require to successfully complete their academic year. As part of the products-only offering, its study guides are available in printed format for all grades.
  
• Comprehensive facilitation material: Impak's facilitation material is designed to provide comprehensive support to teachers. It includes lesson planning, facilitation guidelines, as well as planning of all formal assessment elements. As part of the products only offering, the company's facilitation material is available in printed format for all grades.
  
• Standardised assessment elements: Impak provides all summative and formative assessment elements per subject, and its assessment elements are developed annually by a team of subject matter experts and are fully aligned with CAPS requirements. As part of its products-only offering, Impak offers an assessment package for Grade 4 - 9. It also offers electronic access to portfolio and memorandum books, as well as editable electronic versions of the June and November examination papers and memorandums.

Explains Botha: "The quality of learning material is intrinsically linked to the standard of education and rate of educational achievement. As such, our study guides are designed to encourage self-directed learning, active participation and critical thinking while our facilitator's guides empower teachers to focus on teaching. For schools already boasting the necessary facilities and a team of experienced teachers, our products complete the educational trinity." 

Impak was established in 2002 as a curriculum provider to home education learners. The company has experienced remarkable growth over the past 13 years and last year expanded its offering to include a broad range of education products and services for schools and tutors. Impak currently serves more than to 10,000 learners and more than 300 schools and tutors across South Africa. PSG Private Equity, a 100% subsidiary of the PSG Group, owns a majority share in Impak.

SKILLS TRAINING NEWS

New magazine to empower rural learners

MatricMag is a magazine to be distributed to learners in rural high schools in South Africa who do not have access to digital technology or libraries to supplement their information needs. Only 8% of South Africa's public schools have libraries and 51% have access to digital technology.

The magazine seeks to bridge the digital divide that is currently barring learners in rural and peri-urban areas from accessing critical information that can help lift them out of poverty and assist them with building better futures for themselves. 

"It features content covering various topics that encourage a love of learning, while providing practical guidance on options, whether a learner goes on to higher education or does not have that opportunity," says 25-year-old editor Nomvelo Miya. 

"Even though it is not a curriculum based textbook, we see the content as a tool to empower learners with information that will assist them to make better-informed decisions to help plan their futures.

"Learners in rural and peri-urban areas who are among the 70% who do not get absorbed into the higher education system and have limited or no digital access are the most marginalised in terms of exposure to opportunities. The magazine will aggregate information that will equip them to become more employable or to start their own sustainable businesses.

"Our approach to the distribution of critical information is one that acknowledges the realities of South Africa. Given the very apparent geographic limitations of digital reach at this stage, this is a resource that can reach learners in both printed and digital formats."

In order to reach all schools in rural and peri-urban areas, the magazine is seeking the participation of corporate and individual partners to sponsor the distribution of the magazine. 

For more information, go to www.matricmag.com.