An investigation into the basic safety and security status of schools' physical environments

Safety at schools is beginning to receive attention in South Africa as articulated in various media reports. Schools as sites of teaching and learning can deliver their educational mandate only in safe and secure conditions, free from injuries, crime, and violence. Basic school safety and security features are therefore essential at schools. I argue for the safety and security of the school's physical environment as a sine qua non and a starting point for overall school safety. Because reported incidents of injuries, crime, and violence seem most prevalent in township schools, I investigated the safety status of their physical environments. This was done through the phenomenological observation of their physical environments. It was found that school environments displayed some measure of basic safety, though there was a need to focus more on features like ensuring proper maintenance and surveillance systems, as well as on functional safety and security systems and procedures. An important finding related to the lack of conscious efforts aimed at creating safe and secure environments. It is recommended that schools focus on the basic safety and security of their physical environments, inter alia, purposefully planned school-based maintenance, surveillance and collaboration with stakeholders, including outside agencies like law-enforcement.South African Journal of Education Vol. 26 (4) 2006: pp. 565-58

Entrepreneurial orientation and practice: three case examples of historically disadvantaged primary schools

Historically disadvantaged schools are mostly in a position where they cannot easily practise entrepreneurial customs like innovation, proactiveness and risktaking. However, some of these schools perform well under similar circumstances and show strong entrepreneurial inclinations. In fact, in research conducted in 2006, Lebusa and Xaba found that there were very strong prospects of fostering entrepreneurial customs at historically disadvantaged schools. It was found that schools were already practising innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking, albeit unintentionally. We report on the practice of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking at historically disadvantaged schools. Case examples of three successful entrepreneurial historically disadvantaged primary schools are presented. Results indicate novel and innovative ventures undertaken at these schools and clearly indicate that some historically disadvantaged schools are indeed entrepreneurially oriented

Root cause analysis of major capital projects failure at Transnet Freight Rail

Project failure continues to be a concern even though standards and procedures have been in place for years to counteract the issue. Many reasons for the high rate of project management failure have been purported in the research literature (Bauer, 2006; Hammoud, 2008 & Kerzner, 2002). This study analyzes the problem of high failure rate of major capital projects within Transnet Freight Rail. In addition to reviewing research literature that addresses projects failure concepts, critical success factors, project management principles, strategic alignment, skills and capabilities of project managers and how these factors might relate to major capital projects failure, the study will examine possible problems at the organizational and functional level that might be contributing to the high failure rate of major capital projects within TFR.Graduate School of Business LeadershipM.B.A

Maternal health services in South Africa During the 10th anniversary of the WHO 'Safe Motherhood' initiative

The tenth anniversary of the World Health Organisation's 'Safe Motherhood' initiative is being celebrated this year and the organisation is using the opportunity to assess critically its gains, its strengths and its weaknesses. South Africa has taken some bold steps to address maternal health services, specifically introducing free health care for pregnant women and children under 5. In this paper we explore what further steps are necessary to ensure improved health outcome for pregnant women. South African health care administrations are, in some cases, engaged in broad health systems interventions at provincial level. This approach to improving health services is nonetheless frustrated by programme-specific initiatives, such as the introduction of female condoms or other piecemeal additions. We argue that making the systems function is the essential, primary step in the success of any intervention. The case of maternal health is explored in this paper

Taxonomy of digital signage message execution and media placement considerations

Digital signage is a commercial promising field in marketing. Yet, it is a little researched topic, with an incomplete understanding of the factors to consider when planning digital signage message executions or media placements. There is no systematic, cohesive foundation to describe and study the features of this promising contemporary digital platform. This paper addresses an academic-practitioner divide by developing an orderly categorisation of digital signage message execution and media placement considerations and research. It offers a well-ordered conceptualisation of digital signage types and guidelines for selecting content types, formats, display quality and technical interactive designs. The resulting taxonomy is of relevance to retailers and marketers aiming to optimise utilitarian or hedonic value. Some guidance for prospect research is provided, particularly assessing the varies opportunities offered by different digital signage content types; designing experiments compare the effectiveness of digital display quality, sizes, placement and designs at different locations. The possible obstacles of interactive digital signage also deserve future research

Teachers’ Views on the Factors that Affect Their Role in Implementing School-Based Assessment in Tourism

The study explored teachers’ views on factors that negatively affect their ability to implement school-based assessment (SBA) in Tourism1 as an elective subject in secondary schools. An interpretive, qualitative approach was adopted, and an exploratory case study was conducted in a purposively selected school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually with three teachers to generate the data, while thematic data analysis was employed. The findings suggest that numerous factors negatively affect teachers’ ability to successfully implement SBA when they teach Tourism, with the most prominent being lack of subject-focused training and capacity building, large class sizes, a heavy workload, and inadequate resources. Recommendations are offered to address these challenges

Underpotential deposition of SnBi thin films for sodium ion batteries: The effect of deposition potential and Sn concentration

Bimetallic SnBi film was deposited on a Cu foil substrate via the electrochemical atomic layer deposition (E-ALD) technique. The deposition attainment of Sn and Bi were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The deposition potential of Bi was varied in the underpotential deposition (UPD) region and the concentration of Sn was varied in the SnBi bimetallic material. The materials were characterised using field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (FE-SEM/EDS) for morphology and elemental distribution, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIBSEM) for thickness, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystallinity and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) for composition measurements. Bi deposited at different UPD regions was structurally different. The deposits were crystalline SnBi materials containing Sn, Bi and other phases of Cu and Sn. Bi was concentrated on the surface, while Sn was distributed evenly across the film. The SnBi electrodes were tested as anode materials in Na-ion batteries using galvanostatic cycling (GC), CV and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Initial discharge capacities of 1900 mAh g 1 for SnBi (1:1) and 341 mAh g 1 for SnBi (3:1) electrodes at 38.5 mA g 1 were obtained, while the electrodes suffered capacity loss after 10 cycles

Microbial evaluation of the viscous heater for commercial applications in faecal sludge treatment

Risk of infection from human pathogens by contact with untreated faecal sludge (FS) poses a threat to worker health. The aim of this study was to assess the commercial potential of a 1000 L h-1 viscous heater (VH) to minimise this risk as a component of a black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) production pipeline. Changes in source material properties during sludge processing, temperature stability and microbial treatment efficacy were evaluated. Inactivation of heterotrophic bacteria in FS treated in the VH was measured at 60 ℃ and 80 ℃. Approximately 1‑ to 3-log inactivation was observed, independent of residence time. Maintaining temperature stability proved difficult with variable sludge viscosity and manual control of flow rate and engine power. Adding operational controls based on effluent temperature would compensate for variable sludge properties. Preparing FS for treatment in the VH proved challenging due to the small particle size required and the large quantity of detritus present

The emerging health impact of voluntary medical male circumcision in Zimbabwe: An evaluation using three epidemiological models

Background Zimbabwe adopted voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) as a priority HIV prevention strategy in 2007 and began implementation in 2009. We evaluated the costs and impact of this VMMC program to date and in future. Methods Three mathematical models describing Zimbabwe’s HIV epidemic and program evolution were calibrated to household survey data on prevalence and risk behaviors, with circumcision coverage calibrated to program-reported VMMCs. We compared trends in new infections and costs to a counterfactual without VMMC. Input assumptions were agreed in workshops with national stakeholders in 2015 and 2017. Results The VMMC program averted 2,600–12,200 infections (among men and women combined) by the end of 2016. This impact will grow as circumcised men are protected lifelong, and onward dynamic transmission effects, which protect women via reduced incidence and prevalence in their male partners, increase over time. If other prevention interventions remain at 2016 coverages, the VMMCs already performed will avert 24,400–69,800 infections (2.3–5% of all new infections) through 2030. If coverage targets are achieved by 2021 and maintained, the program will avert 108,000–171,000 infections (10–13% of all new infections) by 2030, costing $2,100–3,250 per infection averted relative to no VMMC. Annual savings from averted treatment needs will outweigh VMMC maintenance costs once coverage targets are reached. If Zimbabwe also achieves ambitious UNAIDS targets for scaling up treatment and prevention efforts, VMMC will reduce the HIV incidence remaining at 2030 by one-third, critically contributing to the UNAIDS goal of 90% incidence reduction. Conclusions VMMC can substantially impact Zimbabwe’s HIV epidemic in the coming years; this investment will save costs in the longer term