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Jan 11, 2025 | 
dailymaverick.co.za | Stephen Grootes |J Brooks Spector |Peter Fabricius |Michael le Cordeur
Government realities hit the GNU Cabinet ministers. Trump’s Maga base shows cracks. And South Africa’s clivias are being targeted.
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Jan 9, 2025 | 
dailymaverick.co.za | Michael le Cordeur
BALANCING ACT OP-ED The debate around the Bela Bill has long focused only on two clauses – admission and language. In reality, the other clauses of the new Bill are equally important. It has already been seven years since Angie Motshekga announced the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (Bela). Although President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Bill on 13 September 2024, it was with the exclusion of clauses 4 and 5 (language and admission policy).
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Jan 7, 2025 | 
dailymaverick.co.za | Michael le Cordeur
Much has been written about the poor performance in South Africa in maths and science since the results of the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) were announced. Unfortunately, much of this is based on ignorance and misconceptions. Not lastFrom the outset, South Africans must understand that we were NOT last out of 195 countries in the world, as implied by others. More than 650,000 pupils of 64 (mostly developed) countries took part in the 2023 TIMSS.
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Oct 31, 2024 | 
dailymaverick.co.za | Michael le Cordeur
I grew up under apartheid. I experienced what it meant to be in a school “for coloureds only” without the most essential facilities such as sports fields, laboratories, a school hall, a library or a staff room for teachers. I was shown the door of the local Post Office because I walked through the wrong door; and was asked to leave a restaurant because it was reserved for white people only. Don't want to see this?
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Oct 16, 2024 | 
dailymaverick.co.za | Michael le Cordeur
It is exactly seven years since former minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga announced the Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Bill. The signing of the bill was delayed for a long time due to the opposition to two clauses — one focusing on admissions and the other on language.
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Oct 8, 2024 | 
dailymaverick.co.za | Michael le Cordeur
The government’s decision to cut thousands of teaching posts has led to widespread unhappiness in education circles. In the past few weeks numerous provincial departments have indicated that they are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of severe budget cuts, poor economic conditions in the country, and financial mismanagement by the previous government. At a media conference on 25 September, Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube said it is a national crisis.
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Jul 1, 2024 | 
dailymaverick.co.za | Michael le Cordeur
The result of this year’s general election has placed the governing ANC in its weakest position in three decades. With their votes, South Africans have made it clear that they expect politicians to work towards a better South Africa in partnership with one another – and thus also to improve education. The government of national unity (GNU) is the opportune time to do this. Hopefully it will – and also get nation building on track again.
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May 26, 2024 | 
dailymaverick.co.za | Michael le Cordeur
During a radio news programme, Suzanne Paxton asked me: “How far have we come with democracy in the South African education system?” That is a difficult question, I answered, but perhaps a recent incident indicates where we currently are. Three-year-old Unecebo Mboteni died when he fell into a pit toilet in Mdantsane in East London. It was a senseless loss of a valuable life.
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May 20, 2024 | 
dailymaverick.co.za | Michael le Cordeur
I was only 11 years old and in Standard 4 (Grade 6) when I worked in Mrs Steenkamp’s garden in the afternoons after school for pocket money. After Standard 6, I worked on Boet Malan’s farm during the December holidays to earn money for Christmas gifts. In Standard 8, I had to pay R50 as an examination fee – money we didn’t have. As a result, I had to work as a handlanger (assistant) on a construction site during the winter holidays.
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Feb 21, 2024 | 
dailymaverick.co.za | Michael le Cordeur
CLASS OF 2023 OP-ED The reality is that the actual pass rate, when dropouts are taken into consideration, is a lot lower than the published pass rate of 82.9%. Huge problems in the education system are to blame. South Africa’s matric (Grade 12) class of 2023, which wrote final school-leaving exams late last year, has been hailed by the country’s minister of basic education for achieving “extraordinary” results.
