Education

Time to get tough with schools which discriminate against pregnant schoolgirls

A total of 20,833 school-going girls fell pregnant in South Africa in the 2013-14 year, according to official statistics. A staggering 717 of them were at primary school.

Chandre Stuurman and Demichelle Petherbridge

Opinion | 19 November 2015

Report details “state of crisis” in schools for visually impaired children

Schools for the visually impaired are in such a "state of crisis" that their students suffer "fundamental impairment of their human dignity”. This is according to SECTION27’s Left in the Dark report, which was released today, detailing extensive research into the conditions in 22 schools for the visually impaired.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 18 November 2015

UWC students to meet Chancellor

The FeesMustFall movement at UWC is to meet the university’s Chancellor Archbishop Thabo Makgoba. This was according to Lindokuhle Mandyoli, a representative of the #FeesMustFall movement, who addressed students today.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 16 November 2015

Funds needed to end long wait for school bus

In May, GroundUp covered the story of a bus on its way for Masiphumelele High School learners. Last week, Noordhoek residents, Stuart James and Andy Taylor, confirmed that a bus has been ordered.

Pasqua Heard

Brief | 16 November 2015

Students and workers shut down CPUT

Clashes occurred between protesters and police, and campus activities were suspended after over a thousand students and a number of workers picketed and sang outside the administration building of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in Bellville.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 13 November 2015

The debt machine and the politics of 0%

The current wave of student protests in South Africa has been mostly analysed from a national and local perspective.

Achille Mbembe

Opinion | 13 November 2015

Arrested UWC students make bail

Fifteen protesters arrested yesterday during the standoff between students and police at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) were released this afternoon on R3,000 bail each, after their supporters managed to raise the R45,000 in total bail money in about an hour.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 12 November 2015

Vrygrond’s Communiversity: offering young people a choice

Since the Communiversity opened its doors in Vrygrond in 2012, nearly 200 young people have graduated with new skills, ranging from maths to first aid and food gardening.

Tariro Washinyira

News | 12 November 2015

UWC shut down

There was utter chaos at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) on Wednesday when riot police clashed with student protesters and used rubber bullets, stun grenades and teargas. Ashraf Hendricks documents the day-long standoff where a building was set alight, fires started and rocks thrown at police and private security. The protests were triggered by an email from the Chairperson of Council, which criticised the #FeesMustFall movement and said the protesters needed to engage with the SRC in order to have a special council meeting.

Photos by Ashraf Hendricks

News | 12 November 2015

iQhayiya students reject Department’s answers to their demands

About 150 students from iQhayiya High School in Khayelitsha marched to the Western Cape Department of Education to demand an answer from the acting deputy director, Benjamin Schereka, to their list of demands.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 11 November 2015

UWC students clash with police

Chaos erupted at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) today as police used rubber bullets, teargas and stun grenades against students protesting against the stand taken by the head of the university council.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 11 November 2015

Academics condemn bottle-throwing at UCT

The disruption of a University of Cape Town senate meeting yesterday by about 150 protesters has been condemned by the Black Academic Caucus and the UCT Academic Union, as well as by Dean of Humanities Sakhela Buhlungu.

GroundUp Staff

News | 10 November 2015

Students throw water bottles at vice-chancellor

Students disrupted a meeting of the University of Cape Town (UCT) senate today and threw water bottles at vice-chancellor Max Price when he refused to release workers to attend a mass meeting.

Thembela Ntongana

News | 9 November 2015

Fees should not fall for all

Free higher education for all privileges the rich, argues Nico Cloete of the Centre for Higher Education Trust (CHET).

Nico Cloete

Analysis | 8 November 2015

“You are a bully” students tell principal

Students at Iqhayiya Secondary School in Khayelitsha claim that they are subjected to corporal punishment, have to pay school fees when they are a no fee school and are unable to be members of organisations such as Equal Education.

Ashleigh Furlong

News | 6 November 2015

In photos: Police and protesters clash at University of Johannesburg

Despite what appeared to be a promising joint statement yesterday morning by University of Johannesburg (UJ) management and trade union Nehawu, tension escalated through the day on campus, culminating in police using force to disperse demonstrators.

Photos and text by Juliette Garms

News | 5 November 2015