Perpetrating disaffection: Schooling as an international problem

This paper argues that, despite evidence of widespread disaffection, school is often regarded as the default position for educational provision, a given good. If there is disaffection with, and resistance to, schooling, then it is pupils and parents that are the problem, not school itself. Yet there is considerable evidence that schooling does not necessarily or automatically benefit either society as a whole or the individuals who attend and that, as a result, it creates disaffection with itself. Rejection of schooling is therefore very far from being an irrational or ill-considered act. The paper reviews evidence supporting this argument including both the failure of schools to protect young people from danger and violence and also their direct role in actively perpetrating violence and threatening the safety of those they are there to protect. The paper ends by arguing that disaffection with schooling stems from its fundamental nature and purposes which have been shaped by its historical origins. While schooling remains as it is, disaffection and resistance will continue to be an inbuilt and often logical response

Defining a relevant architecture in South Africa

Architecture in South Africa is at a crossroads. Afteryears of repression and isolation during which contemporary architecture lost its way, there is now a desperate need for architects to respond to the social a nd cultural challenges of a society riven by massive material contrasts. Within architecture schools, a student body more representative of society than hitherto is engaged in projects which reflect the very diverse needs of the community. Central to the effectiveness of such teaching programmes is the presence of teachers fully engaged in practice, creating a responsible architecture fora renewed nation

Assessments as Teaching and Research Tools in an Environmental Problem-Solving Program for In-Service Teachers

This article discusses the use of a scenario-based assessment tool in two environmental geoscience in-service programs for middle school and high school teachers. This tool served both to guide instructional techniques and as a method to evaluate the success of the instructional approach. In each case, participants were assessed before the workshops to reveal misconceptions that could be addressed in program activities and afterwards to reveal shifts in their understanding of concepts and approaches. The researchers noted that this scenario-based assessment was effective in providing guidance in refining instructional techniques and as a method to evaluate the effectiveness of an instructional program. In addition, participating teachers reported significant changes in their teaching as a result of the program. Educational levels: Graduate or professional, Graduate or professional

The role of institutional investors in promoting long-term value creation: A South African perspective

“Short-termism” has been identified by many academics and business practitioners as a significant global problem in modern capitalist markets. The excessive focus of corporate decision-makers on short-term profit maximising goals, often at the expense of longer-term objectives, results in insufficient attention being paid to the strategy, fundamentals and the long-term value creation of an organisation. Agency theory provides a useful framework to begin to understand and address this problem, as it highlights the unaligned priorities of key stakeholders and decision-makers in capital markets. Institutional investor activism is a credible solution to short-term management behaviour and irresponsible shareholder pressures on management, because institutions usually hold significant interests in listed companies and have a vested interest in the long-term creation of corporate value. A substantial majority of the shareholding of most capital markets is owned by a concentrated group of mutual funds (collective investment schemes), pension plans, and other institutional investors such as hedge funds and medical aid schemes. Therefore the power to veto or at least control programs of raising dividends, increasing share buybacks, spinning off company divisions and requesting board representation really sits with institutional investors and this is a fact that institutional asset managers need to acknowledge. The power and the responsibility to implement sound principles and practices of corporate governance sits with institutional investors. This paper explores the questions of how and why institutional investors need to exert more influence on the boards of the companies to which they are invested. Can institutional investors be held to a more long-term view of corporate governance? What are the reasons for the failure of institutional investors to date? The South African context, including recent events in corporate South Africa, which includes the 2016 release of the King IV Report on Corporate Governance, are applied to the issue. South Africa can stand proud of its codes of good practice that promote responsible institutional shareholder activism

Exploring a South African solution to an international concern over auditor independence: The South African audit profession's opinions with regard to mandatory audit firm rotation

The provision of assurance services, most notably the audit function, is an activity of public protection that requires a high degree of independence between the auditor and the audit client to ensure audit quality is achieved. Internationally, especially in the European Union, there is a legislated move towards mandatory audit firm rotation (MAFR) to ensure auditor independence. South Africa is currently faced with the decision of whether to change legislation and follow suit. Using a qualitative and descriptive methodology, through the use of semi-structured and open interviews with experienced South African audit partners, the direct and indirect effects of mandatory firm rotation on the audit profession was explored. This study will therefore present the opinions of the regulator and a small group of experienced audit partners, most being regional or national managing partners, from audit firms that perform public interest entity audits. Of particular interest will be the opinions of the respondents around (1) the state of independence in South Africa, (2) whether mandatory audit firm rotation will increase audit quality, (3) whether there are better alternatives to mandatory audit firm rotation, and (4) what the perceived direct and indirect effects of mandatory rotation will be within the South African legal and regulatory context. A particular emphasis is also placed on the argument from the national audit regulator that mandatory audit firm rotation, in addition to strengthening independence, will also reduce market concentration (promote competition) in the South African audit industry, as well as promote black economic transformation. The results show significant disagreement by the audit practitioners against the arguments in favour of mandatory audit firm rotation, with most claiming that it will not achieve an increase in audit quality and will produce many unintended consequences that will in their opinion actually reduce audit quality. There is a significant amount of agreement amongst the audit partners on the key issues and no partner interviewed is fully in favour of changing legislation to require MAFR. A number of alternative means for improving audit quality are suggested, which in the opinion of many of the partners, will be less damaging to audit quality and the audit profession

Body, Mat, Mark-Making

I explore painting and drawing through a binding of its performative activity with the practice of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Constraints are put in place to impose constant and abrupt switching between mark-making and grappling activity. The repetition involved in this structure fuses these two distinct activities into one. The experience of mushin (no-mind), a state one enters when deeply immersed in martial art activity, overlaps into the process of mark-making. This experience of mark-making subsequently influences the activity on the mat. Affect, as a pre-cognitive entity, participates alongside conscious activity in this feedback loop of influences. From this view, I revisit the idea of constraint and mushin. The resulting works depict fragmented bodies-in-process, produced under a state of mushin that involves the constrained combination of unconscious and conscious, mental and bodily influences

Solar cooling system performance, Frenchman's Reef Hotel, Virgin Islands

The operational and thermal performance of a variety of solar systems are described. The Solar Cooling System was installed in a hotel at St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands. The system consists of the evacuated glass tube collectors, two 2500 gallon tanks, pumps, computerized controller, a large solar optimized industrial sized lithium bromide absorption chiller, and associated plumbing. Solar heated water is pumped through the system to the designed public areas such as lobby, lounges, restaurant and hallways. Auxiliary heat is provided by steam and a heat exchanger to supplement the solar heat

Generations in the Workplace: Similarities and Differences.

Occurrences of four generations working side by side are not unusual. The four generations include Traditionalist, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. Members of each generation have views and opinions about their work ethic and their definition of loyalty to the organization. Hiring managers will need to know characteristics of each generation. This knowledge will enable the hiring managers to place the applicant in certain positions within their organizations. By matching applicants with the correct work positions, employees are able to use their skills and abilities to be productive and to establish measurable goals for themselves and their departments. Productive work enables the employees to work individually and as a team member. The research has shown that each generation has its own strengths and weakness. Members of the older generations show characteristics that accommodate customer service and loyalty to an organization. Members of the younger generations have the technical knowledge and the ability to train others in order to use this technology to the benefit of the organization