Senzeni Na?

Another week! This week my students finished up with their presentations on research they were conducting during teaching experience. Before leaving for teaching experience, the broke into teams and come up with a research question based on literacy. For example, "what literacy modes are used in Grade R - 5 maths classes?" They then each interviewed their supervising teacher, observed him/her teaching, and analyzed the course textbook. When they came back on campus they brought their data with them to compare/contrast with their group - the presentations were the results of their findings. On Monday, I have my last class; I'll just tie a lot of loose ends (administrative surveys, explaining final projects, et cetera). They turn in an assignment this week and then their final report on 5 November … that's all that I have left to do, grade!

On Wednesday, I led a training session for the teachers from the two schools for mobile literacies research project. As you may recall, I went to the township schools a few weeks ago to give an initial training. I think the teachers enjoyed getting out of school, away from the township, and for many of them, back to their alma mater (Wits) for training. I went over navigating through specific apps that require internet connection (they don’t have internet at their school yet). I've enjoyed seeing this project take shape; I remember in February during our first research meetings talking about which schools we would select and helping Wits lecturers with their own technological-learning pains.

I was surprised to come home this week and find many pieces of mail for me - all political ads. With so many issues on the ballot, Senate seats, House of Representative seats, and of course, the Presidency, mailers are in full swing. I thought to myself "they must really want my vote" as I flipped through them. The winner: $1.06 postage for a mailer in favor of a levy. Fun reminder too, incumbent politicians have free mailing privileges - I guess they didn't look at the country code before sending them out. Too bad I already sent in my absentee ballot!

As an avid reader of The Economist - my weekly homework - I was surprised to see this weeks' cover story: "Cry the Beloved Country: South Africa's Sad Decline". Not that it is shocking to read about the lack of leadership, corruption, and inequality that is rampant in South Africa, I just hope that it makes a societal impact (doubtful). A few interesting points:

• "Persistent inequality is in part down to the government's failure to educate young South Africans, particularly black ones. In the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report, South Africa ranks 132nd out of 144 countries for its primary education and 143rd for the quality of its science and maths…"
• "Schools suffer from poor equipment. Only 20% have libraries, and only 7.5% actually have any books. Almost of all schools rely on pit latrines instead of proper toilets. In July textbooks that pupils should have received in January were found tossed into rivers in an effort to hide the failure to deliver them."
• "The standard of teaching is low, too. Training is inadequate. South Africa needs 25,000 new teachers a year but only around 10,000 qualify. Maths and science teachers are in particularly short supply. Many arrive late to school and leave early, spending barely half their allotted time in class. Many fail to turn up at all on Fridays."
• "The starkest measure of South Africa's failure is the yawning gap between rich and poor. Under apartheid, such inequality was by design. Since apartheid came to an end, a tiny black elite has accrued great fortunes. But that has only widened the wealth gap. South Africa's Gini coefficient - the best-known measure of inequality, in which 0 is the most equal and 1 the least - was 0.63 in 2009. In 1993, it was 0.59. After 18 years of full democracy, South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world." 

A beautiful isiZulu/isiXhosa song: Senzeni Na?