Identifying the needs of participants in the Khulisa Diversion Programme.

The aim of this study was to identify the needs of participants in the Khulisa Diversion Programme. It evaluated the outcomes and impacts of this programme. The researcher set out to determine and explore whether the programme is meeting the needs of its participants. These children have been referred to it by juvenile courts, schools and parents for committing minor crimes that do not require the criminal justice system. The needs identified were based on Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs. This research study uses a qualitative research approach. A questionnaire was administered to the participants and a focus group interview was conducted with the group after the main themes were identified from an analysis of the completed questionnaires. Central themes that emerged related mainly to participants’ unique understanding of their needs as related to the delinquent acts committed. The interview was transcribed and analyzed and the data obtained were documented and recommendations were submitted to Khulisa on how the Diversion Programme could be improved by meeting the needs of its participants. The results indicated that Khulisa has developed an intervention programme that is meeting the needs of these young children, provides them with the opportunity to reflect on their wrong behaviours and aims to help them correct their behaviours in future. In particular, the children who participated in this study seemed to have developed an insight into their behaviors and to have realized the importance of accountability and being responsible for their behavior. iv. The study also highlighted numerous research and methodological difficulties inherent in this study. These problems, and recommendations for future studies, are discussed. The study, while limited, provides initial support for the continued use of the Khulisa Diversion Programme when dealing with juveniles who can be diverted from the criminal justice system

Teacher appraisal in Botswana secondary schools: a critical analysis

Recent policy on teacher appraisal in Botswana emphasises that the process should be professional, non-threatening and constructive. The extent to which the teachers themselves experience their appraisal as meaningful was investigated. The findings indicated that teachers had varying experiences and mixed feelings about the appraisal process. It emerged that many teachers viewed the current teacher appraisal system in Botswana as demoralising, even threatening. Our study confirmed the thesis that all parties involved in the teacher appraisal process should know its purposes, and should interpret and apply these in a uniform, professional way. The empirical and theoretical findings of our study showed that the current teacher appraisal system as practised in Botswana secondary schools requires further improvement to ensure general professional acceptance and implementation. The interpretation of the research findings cannot be confined to the Botswana borders. There is hardly a country in the world where teacher appraisal is not a contentious issue. South African Journal of Education Vol. 26(2) 2006: 215–22

The effectiveness of speed humps as traffic calming for accident reduction

eThekwini Municipality has been allocating millions of Rand each year for speed humps as a traffic calming measure, to curb rat-running and ensure pedestrian safety in the city. Since 2012, the City has spent R42.1 million of its capital budget on speed humps. Despite all traffic calming efforts, there haven’t been significant changes in the city’s total accidents. Between 2000 and 2015, the City’s total crashes have never been below 50 000 per annum. In terms of injuries, the same trend can be observed. Person injuries have been increasing year-on-year since 2012. This research used information available to assess changes in specific roads, i.e. roads that have been traffic calmed. The study looked at accidents before and after the implementation of speed humps. Speed humps have been proven to reduce speed of vehicles (Vanderschuren & Jobanputra, 2009). Dixon and Jacko (1998) conducted a before and after study in The Netherlands to investigate changes in driver behaviour due to implementation of speed humps. This research showed that there was a 40% decrease in travel speeds after speed humps were installed. Another study by Ponnaluri and Groce (2005) showed that speed humps reduce mean speeds, median and 85th percentile speeds. In Belgrade, Serbia a study showed that speed humps reduce speed and that the design (height) of the speed hump also affects the extent of this change (Antić et al., 2013). This paper assessed the impact of reactive (responsive to requests) traffic calming in the form of speed humps using accident data. The assessment looked at changes relating to the number of crashes before and after implementation of speed humps, it will also focused on changes in the severity of accidents involved. The research analysed changes in relation to the types of accident involved, particularly pedestrians.Papers presented virtually at the 39th International Southern African Transport Conference on 05 -07 July 202

Teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of teacher appraisal in Botswana

The major aim of teacher appraisal is to develop teachers in order to improve their delivery in schools. The effectiveness of the process of teacher appraisal is, however, dependent on the perceptions of the teachers themselves. Since the expansion o f the education system of Botswana in the 1970s and 1980s, as a result of the cardinal reforms, there has been concern about quality. One of the quality assurance measures introduced was teacher appraisal. The current teacher appraisal scheme in Botswana was introduced in 1992 as a non-threatening, valid, and extensive system to develop the individua l and the school. In this article we address the following question: What are teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the current system of teacher appraisal as practised in Botswana secondary schools? Both quantitative and qualitative methods of research were employed to address the question. The teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of their appraisal are categorised according to the following key terms: teacher performance; motivation of teachers; working relationships; teacher training on appraisal; “an axe ready to chop teachers”; and “no purpose”. South African Journal of Education Vol. 26(3) 2006: 427–44

The Need For a Coordinated Transportation Plan to Enable Intra-African Trade and Economic Development

The African Economic Outlook 2017 has emphasized that intra-African trade has the greatest potential in promoting sustainable economic development on the continent as well as ensuring integration (OECD, 2017). Currently, individual countries on the continent have a variety of challenges but lack of transportation infrastructure remains a glaring obstacle that prohibits intra-African trade. In instances where there is infrastructure, it remains useful to a particular country but falls short of being a regional or continental corridor. Where there are plans to invest in infrastructure, it also appears to be uncoordinated in the context of continental planning. This paper therefore looks at the current transportation status as well as challenges on the continent. The paper also assesses economic policies, strategies and plans in Africa in the context of transportation. This is done at a level of individual countries, regional blocs and the continent. The study highlights the imperativeness of formulating and ensuring proper facilitation of a transportation plan on the continent to enable intra-African trade. The paper will also assess and evaluate current transport plans on the continent. From this, it will then identify deficiencies and make recommendations on the route Africa needs to follow to ensure that policies, plans and strategies are in line with economic and trade plans on the continent.Papers presented at the 38th International Southern African Transport Conference on "Disruptive transport technologies - is South and Southern Africa ready?" held at CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa on 8th to 11th July 2019

The need for South Africa to adopt standard signage and symbols for low and zero emission vehicles (lzevs)

Papers presented virtually at the 41st International Southern African Transport Conference on 10-13 July 2023.South Africa currently has the 15th highest carbon dioxide emissions in the world (Worldometer, 2022). In 2018, the country introduced the Green Transport Strategy, a long-term plan that aims at decarbonising the transport sector. This is in support of the national climate change strategy amongst others. One of the objectives of the green transport strategy is to engage the low carbon transition of the sector, to assist with the aligning and developing of policies which promote energy efficiency and emission control measures in all transport modes (NDoT 2018). With current strides in policymaking and developments in introducing more electric vehicles in the market, it therefore remains imperative to ensure that road users are safe. Currently there are no national standardised signs, symbols, or pavement markings in South Africa to identify Low and Zero Emission Vehicles (LZEVs) charging infrastructure or charging locations. Some stakeholders and agencies have commenced installing some signage without a clear national standard and this can potentially cause frustration amongst drivers and consequently pose a risk for road users. This research will study current rollout of LZEV signage in South Africa, the need to standardise this rollout and learning from other countries on what the trends are

Responding to road safety challenges : proposed pedestrian safety measures for Durban CBD

Papers presented virtually at the 41st International Southern African Transport Conference on 10-13 July 2023.The cost of road accidents in South Africa was estimated at R162,045 billion or 3,48% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2017 (RTMC, 2017) with each fatal road traffic crash costing the economy some R5,717,351.00. In the same year, KwaZulu Natal province had 2800 road crash fatalities, which is approximately 20% of South Africa’s annual road crash fatalities (RTMC, 2016). The city of eThekwini is not sparred as there has been more than 50 000 road crashes per year, with more than 500 deaths each year since the year 2000 (ETA, 2016). To respond to these challenges, The city of eThekwini has commenced with the project of improving road safety in the central business district (CBD) by implementing some engineering interventions. This is in line with the city’s vision of making eThekwini the most liveable city in Africa by 2030 (eThekwini, 2021). These engineering interventions are also aimed at making the CBD safe to all, but more importantly, to pedestrians and other non-motorized transport users. This will be done using traffic calming measures to slow down vehicles and therefore protect pedestrians while crossing or walking in the Durban CBD. The intension is to ensure that speeds within the Durban CBD are regulated such that a vehicle cannot travel more than 40 km/hr

Teacher Appraisal: an evaluation of practices in Botswana Secondary Schools

This study is an evaluation of the effectiveness of the current teacher appraisal system as practised in Botswana secondary schools. The study sought to establish inter alia the relationship between the current teacher appraisal and the day to day duties of teachers, the extent to which it leads to improvements in the teaching and students' learning process, how it addresses the staff development needs of the teachers, and whether the mechanisms and procedures for the management and implementation of the appraisal system in the schools is adequate. Teacher appraisal was defined as a process of staff development aimed at the professional development of the teacher through collegial interaction in order to enhance the quality of teaching and students' learning. Other strategies to achieve the effectiveness were also discussed in the thesis. Chapter One of the thesis provided the orientation of the study, while Chapter Two looked at the international literature on appraisal, including two case studies on the introduction of teacher appraisal in Great Britain and the United States of America. Chapter Three provided the contextual literature for the study. Chapter Four provided the research design of the study. Chapter Five discussed and analysed the research findings and Chapter Six presented the summary, conclusions and recommendations of the study. A survey questionnaire based on a five items Likert Scale and a semi-structured interview were used to collect data. The study was carried out in the Southern Region of Botswana in the Lobatse and Kanye Clusters of secondary schools. From both the literature reviews and the empirical research findings, it became clear that:  Teacher appraisal is a process and not an event;  The clarity of the purpose of the appraisal process is fundamental to its effectiveness;  The training of both the appraisees and appraisers on the appraisal process is crucial to its effectiveness;  Feedback is a sine qua non for the appraisal process to be effective.Teacher EducationD.Ed. (Education Management