Manifestations of ‘capabilities poverty’ with learners attending informal settlement schools

In this study I use the notion of ‘capabilities poverty’, as theorised by Sen, to examine the experiences of learners attending informal settlement schools in North-West Province, South Africa. Sen distinguishes between functionings (what people do or their ability to do something) and capabilities (various combinations of what people do, their notions of freedom, what life opportunities they may have). The study was based on a sample of respondents from four schools in the Sarafina informal settlement in Ikageng township in the municipal district of Tlokwe (Potchefstroom). It captured some complexities of schooling within South Africa’s democratic educational framework and clearly exposed the manifestations of capabilities poverty. The precise location of capabilities poverty within the plethora of poverty approaches presents educational research with a reality check when looking at informal settlement schools. The study revealed a multiplicity of barriers for informal settlement learners that prevent them from choosing the educational experience they value and contributes to research into the nuanced nature of the interface between poverty and schooling

Re-positioning the competences of beginner teachers in South Africa: A capabilities perspective

On entering the teaching profession, beginner teachers in South Africa are expected to comply with requirements underlying the National Policy Framework for teacher education in South Africa (NPF 2006). These requirements are stipulated as follows: A teacher needs to be a specialist in a particular learning area, subject or phase; a specialist in teaching and learning; a specialist in assessment; a curriculum developer; a leader, administrator and manager; a scholar and lifelong learner; and a professional who plays a community, citizenship, and pastoral role.Recent studies have however revealed that there are many concerns among newly appointed teachers about their readiness to fulfil these roles. This has lead us to do an explorative investigation in an effort to re-position the capabilities of beginner teachers. The qualitative data extrapolated from a literature investigation, teacher education policy and semi-structured interviews will guide us in formulating findings, pertinent to establishing a support strategy in what they deem as the most challenging aspects in and around the classroom. The investigation is underpinned by Sen’s (1980) capabilities approach which offers a yet unexplored lens through which to understand the importance of supporting beginner teachers to think critically and creatively, solve problems, make informed decisions, cope with and manage new situations, and communicate effectively in order to deal with new situations as it may arise in the classroom on a daily basis (Maarman 2009, 321)

Basic sciences in higher education, and teaching approaches in the context of 21st-century advances: Time for a change?

Higher education has become a leading life goal for youth across the world. More specifically, the higher education of basic scientists is key in the creation of new developments in economics, healthcare, science, and technology. However, advances and challenges that came with the 21st century have impacted how basic science research is conducted and how basic scientists function within a rapidly changing world. Without a doubt, the way in which basic scientists are trained at higher education institutions needs to be revisited and adapted where needed. By means of a literature review, this article demonstrates the significant challenges and advances in the 21st century, and how these impact the higher education of basic scientists. To summarise, training programmes must include a digitalisation focus and teach the use of digital technology to disseminate research findings to the lay public. Training must hone the skills that will help scientists to survive job scarcity in academia, skills such as curriculum vitae writing, promoting oneself as employable to industry companies and how to repurpose academic experiences for a different job market. Other aspects that need to be included are raising awareness, among the next generation of basic scientists, of the need to conduct research that has nationally and internationally relevant foci. Training must include mentorship during postgraduate training, the use of hybrid models of teaching, curricular integration and interdisciplinary learning and practices during the early stages of these scientists’ careers. Lastly, undergraduate degrees give a general introduction to the basic sciences, but leave graduates with insufficient laboratory experience, and thus they struggle to enter the job market after their undergraduate degree is completed. In other fields, a B. in Accounting makes a graduate an accountant, B. Eng makes them an engineer, but BSc. equates to nothing besides several introductions to various fields. More must be done

A capability analysis on the implementation of the school progression policy and its impact on learner performance

This paper focuses on the extent and consequences of learner progression in the form of ‘automaticpromotion’ or grade promotion for reasons other than academic achievement, as propagated by theexisting School Progression Policy (SPP) and how its implementation affects learner performance.The paper argues that, although the advantages and disadvantages of grade retention and automaticpromotion, or the promotion of learners that do not possess the required content knowledge, arehighly contentious, the SPP produces numerous complexities and unfreedoms on learners whenexamined through the lens of the Capabilities Approach (CA). Based on a study of three Quintile-1(Q-1) primary schools in Cape Town, the paper argues that, although the SPP is ambitious and wellintentioned, critical implementation and monitoring challenges negatively reconfigures theeducational aspirations of primary school learners. The paper also reveals that the implementationof the SPP imposes many unfreedoms for both learners and teachers in high poverty level areas.The study revealed that the CA, despite its limitations in terms of conceptualisation, does provide aunique framework to investigate real freedoms and unfreedoms of the SPP

Principals’ views on the implementation of the no-fee policy through the lens of capability theory

The purpose of the study reported on here was to investigate the implementation of the no-fee schools policy in quintile 1 schools in the Frances Baard district of the Northern Cape province. The South African schooling system categorises schools into quintile 1 to 5 schools, and, since 2006, disadvantaged learners in quintiles 1 to 3 have been exempted from paying fees. This study explored the perceptions of school principals regarding the implementation of the no-fee policy in the South African context, by applying a capability approach, which offers a novel perspective. In the study we used a descriptive design located within the qualitative tradition. Nine principals from quintile 1 schools were purposively selected as participants. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, and a thematic framework was used for analysis. The findings indicate that the no-fee schools policy is only implemented partially by stakeholders (principals and school governing bodies). Furthermore, it was found that there is a lack of knowledge about the content of the policy which consequently inhibits effective implementation. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the Department of Education monitors the implementation of the no-fee policy more closely. Keywords: capability approach; education; no-fee policy; quintile; schools; South Afric

Re-imaging support for beginner teachers in relation to initial teacher education policy in South Africa

Findings from a recent study highlight beginner teacher’s perceptions about the nature of support they had received to enhance their competencies (Esau, 2017). Against this backdrop, with this article we aim at problematising support for beginner teachers in relation to the National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa of 2006. This teacher education policy stipulates principles that require of a novice teacher to assume specific roles and responsibilities which they find difficult to fulfil. The findings reveal that compliance with this policy is inhibited by the fact that teachers feel ill-prepared and unsupported on entering the teaching profession. Investigating the nature of support of beginner teachers, therefore, provides an opportunity to re-imagine both teacher education and context. In this article we highlight the risk evaluations of beginner teachers using Amartye Sen’s Capability Approach (CA)

Optimal demographic information for policy development in the South African education system

After ten years of a democratic education system in South Africa , the demographic realities should be better understood in educational planning. The fragmented nature of the predemocratic education system has led to undesirable perceptions about quality education and has subsequently influenced the demographic imperatives present in the South African school system of today. Further investigation is needed to understand the complexities of learner numbers and enhanced consideration of the components and elements of the concept of demography in educational planning is necessary. Keywords: demography, determinant, educational planning, education system, educational policies, post provision, quartiles South African Journal of Education Vol. 26(2) 2006: 295–30

Unmasking the state of basic education in South Africa

The Covid-19 lockdown period laid bare the fibre of South African society: poverty, homelessness, welfare dependence, domestic violence, police and military brutality, healthcare and hunger are all suddenly under national and international scrutiny. From the onset it was clear that, as a nation or a state, we cannot continue to pay lip service to the social justice agenda of the country as the anxious population were suddenly exposed to the inside workings of the national ministries and departments. It was clear that the nexus between the state and the populace is a broken one. There is a global tension about the origin and management of the pandemic, but families in poor communities just want to survive

Reading John 1:1-18 in Sesotho : an investigation of the issues, meanings and interpretations raised by mother tongue exegesis.

Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.By focussing on literary translation dynamics, and on how the current vernacular Bibles (specifically John 1:1-18 in Southern and Northern Sotho) encourage certain and not other understandings of the Bible (popular theology), this project attempts to achieve three related goals: (a) to reintegrate me as a Mosotho Biblical Studies student into the world and discourse of my people, (b) to bridge the gulf between the world of the Basotho believers and the academic world which has produced copious resources for the study of the Bible, and (c) to explore the implications of, or to assess the value of, the availability of the Bible in the vernacular for the Church and the academy in South Africa. The first goal is rather subjective and difficult to quantify. The second is critical in a complex plural society like South Africa. The third cannot be dealt with conclusively, perhaps the use of this project lies in pointing out various possibilities in this arena. The overarching bias (hypothesis) is that conscious critical work with the Bible in the vernacular is enriching in more ways than one

Melatonin as a novel cardioprotective therapy in pulmonary hypertension

Includes bibliographical references.Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure which leads to right ventricular hypertrophy and failure. The mechanism involved in the pathophysiology of the disease remains unclear but it is suggested that oxidative stress may trigger cardiovascular dysfunction associated with the disease. To date, there is no efficient therapy against PH and novel therapies are urgently needed. Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that can confer benefit against ischemia-reperfusion injury and hypertension. We therefore hypothesised that melatonin may confer cardiovascular benefits against PH. Methods: Oxidative stress (plasma lipid peroxidation, antioxidant capacity and antioxidant enzyme activity) was assessed in healthy (n=10), in patients with PH (n=10), in Long Evans rats (n≥6) or in a rat model of PH induced 28 days after the injection of monocrotaline (MCT, 80mg/kg, subcutaneous) (n≥6). Melatonin (75ng/L, nutritional concentration), 4mg/kg or 6mg/kg (therapeutic dose) was given daily in the drinking water of rats, with the treatment started 5 days before the injection of MCT, on the day of the injection or 14 days after the injection of MCT. The development of PH was measured by assessing right ventricular hypertrophy, cardiac fibrosis, oxidative stress and cardiac function (via echocardiography and the isolated heart Langendorff perfusion model). Results: Plasma oxidative stress was increased in both patients and rats with PH compared with their respective controls. A chronic treatment with melatonin (75ng/L, 4mg/kg or 6mg/kg) starting on the day of the injection with MCT in rats with PH reduced right ventricular hypertrophy, cardiac dysfunction and plasma oxidative stress compared with control rats. Furthermore, the beneficial effect of melatonin (6mg/kg) could be observed when given as a preventive (5 days prior to the injection of MCT) or as a curative therapy (14 days after the injection of MCT). Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that chronic treatment of melatonin confers cardioprotection in a rat model of PH. As melatonin is inexpensive, safe (no reported side effects) and already available over the counter in many countries, we propose that melatonin should be considered as a novel preventive/curative therapy to limit cardiac dysfunction in patients with PH