Education
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" alt="Considering class size and student achievement" />
Considering class size and student achievement
15 November 2012
Worldwide, average class size and student-teacher ratio are considered carefully by parents selecting schools for their children, while education experts consider them critically when evaluating a healthy education system. In South Africa, class size is often cited as a cause of poor learning outcomes.But, points out Tshikululu CRM Joyce Wanjogu, researchers have not agreed on the optimal student-teacher ratio and class size, and there is no clear indication in the literature as to what number actually constitutes a large class or a small class.
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" alt="Effective education investment starts at the top" />
Effective education investment starts at the top
13 September 2012
There is an increasing awareness amongst funders and civil society more generally that there is quite simply no ‘silver bullet’ able to solve South Africa’s education crisis. After all, says Tshikululu CSI practitioner Sarah Ball, the problem is a complex one, which requires careful consideration if stakeholders are to have any real impact with the limited resources available to them.An area of investment which has received increasing attention in funding circles of late is that of school leadership, taking into account the school principal, in the first instance, as well as the school management team comprised of heads of department and deputy principals. It is also valuable to see parents and the School Governing Body as an important part of school leadership as they are essentially the link between the school and the community in which it operates.
Not only is the case for interventions at leadership level strong because, as is the case in any professional environment, people in a new post require training and mentoring to fulfil their roles effectively, but also in a number of ways relating specifically to the education environment.
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" alt="Working together to educate South Africa" />
Working together to educate South Africa
31 May 2012
"South African civil society cannot be faulted for a lack of passion, ingenuity or genuine love for the country and its children, " says Ball.
Tshikululu CSI practitioner Sarah Ball reflects on the themes discussed at the FirstRand Foundation’s FNB Fund Primary Education Workshop held at Tshikululu Social Investments earlier this year.
For too long now, South Africans have been looking at what we need, what we don’t have, and what is wrong. What we fail to see is that our firmest allies and greatest assets are all around us, and have been all along. Across the spectrum of organisations working in education, and throughout the communities in which they operate, we have everything we need to make education work; we just need to realise it.
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" alt="No more excuses – the NSC results of 2011 (two)" />
No more excuses – the NSC results of 2011 (two)
7 March 2012
Comparing provincial performance statistics with the numbers of learners enrolling in maths, science and accounting is revealing.
Tshikululu is delighted to publish this comprehensive analysis of the latest NSC results, carefully researched and written by Trustee of the Epoch and Optima Trusts, Margie Keeton.
Please note that what follows is part two of her 2011 analysis. Read part one here.
‘Flat-lining’ learning
So much for basic pass rates. When we begin to look at the quality of passes, we find an even more depressing picture, thanks to Umalusi’s detailed statistics which break achievement levels down into 10 per cent intervals in over 50 subjects.
