Umamah Bakharia

4 days ago | mg.co.za | Umamah Bakharia

A report submitted to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights states that South Africa is failing to uphold women’s rights to land and housing, despite constitutional protections and international legal commitments.

6 days ago | mg.co.za | Umamah Bakharia

South Africa, once considered a continental leader in science, technology and innovation, has found itself at a crossroads in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). Despite its globally recognised research institutions and thriving tech start-up scene in cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg, the country has yet to implement a coordinated national AI policy or roadmap.

1 week ago | mg.co.za | Umamah Bakharia

Teacher unions have called out the department of basic education for failing to hire maths teachers after it emerged that 464 schools in the country no longer offer maths as a subject. “There needs to be a serious talk about how the department handles its human resources department, because we have universities that are graduating students, but how many of these teachers care about the needs of learners at the schools?” said the South African Democratic Teachers Union’s (Sadtu) Mugwena Maluleka.

2 weeks ago | mg.co.za | Umamah Bakharia

South Africa’s adult literacy rate has reached 95%, ranking it as the second most literate country on the African continent. The data from research centre Intelpoint suggests the majority of the population aged 15 years and older possesses basic reading and writing skills. The findings from studies on adult literacy from 2018 to 2021 showed that Seychelles had the highest literacy rate in Africa at 95.9%, while Chad had the lowest at 26.8%.

2 weeks ago | mg.co.za | Umamah Bakharia

Concerned parents have called on Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube to develop a national policy to restrict smartphone access in schools so learners can focus on their work and develop socially without the distraction and influence of social media and games. The South African chapter of the global movement Smartphone Free Childhood is pushing for a phone-free school day to improve students’ concentration and social interaction and to reduce their dependence on the internet.