Ernest K. Klu

Where Is the Wisdom We Have Lost in Knowledge

Abstract In this research paper the researchers highlight the need for an incorporation of the African cultural heritage in general and proverbs in particular for second language learning and teaching. This is in the light of the widespread trivialisation of African culture and knowledge systems which has resulted in an appalling degeneration of the cultural, social and spiritual fabric of the African people as a whole. This degeneration needs to be challenged through a revolutionalised academic engagement that harnesses the African cultural living heritage because the tenets of the African cultural systems and practices form the fundamentals of living with others and with nature in harmony. Folklore in general and proverbs, in particular, contain practical wisdom for instilling moral values and social skills as globalization, transculturalism and real-life experiences demand problem-solving that is based on the human condition. Thus academics need to consciously and consistently incorporate and illuminate the African heritage in their teaching in order to enable students to learn and think critically about the knowledge and the wisdom of the cultural practices of their communities.

Teachers' Professional Knowledge Competence and Second Language Education in South Africa

Abstract In this paper, the researchers propose that teachers’ professional knowledge plays a significant role in the scaffolding of second language education. This is because learners need both linguistic and content knowledge scaffolding to be able to make meaningful associations and build more knowledge onto what they already know. Teachers are not only responsible for comprehensibly delivering learning materials but they are also responsible for initiating the process of learning. It is through the teachers’ use of the language that complex concepts are unraveled so that learners are able to build representational structures that are the basis for the understanding of unfamiliar subject-matter. In other words, professional knowledge underpins teachers’ capacity to effectively link the demands of language to content subject matter. The researchers conclude firstly, by emphasizing that teacher training programmes have to be fore-grounded in professional knowledge that is congruent with appropriate theoretical frames underpinning English as a medium of instruction; and secondly, by acknowledging the pervasiveness of language across disciplines which embeds the fact that every teacher is a language teacher and as such, teachers need to be explicitly apprenticed in professional knowledge for the facilitation of new forms of practice and identities for themselves and their learners.

Stakeholders' Perception and Experience of Inclusive Education: A Case of a Further Education and Training College in South Africa

Abstract Inclusive education is a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of learners through increasing participation by all categories of learners in the learning environment. A qualitative approach using a phenomenological case study was adopted for this study. The study explored and described the experiences of learners (including a learner with disabilities), staff, and the institutional management team with respect to inclusive practices in Sekhukhume Further Education and Training (FET) College in South Africa. The study found that the institution in question lacked the necessary resources and managerial capacity to implement fully inclusive educational programmes that will meet the special needs of all learners in the institution in question. The provision of resources, professional development of lecturers, capacitating the institutional management and putting monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in place can go a long wayin ensuring that inclusive needs of learners with disabilities are met.

Youth, Youth Culture and Socialisation in the Present Technological Era in a Rural Village of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract Young people are seen to be adopting and practicing peculiar norms that are contradictory to those of their societies. These unique modes of youth expression lead to the stereotyping of the young people and ultimately their marginalisation. This paper aimed at exploring how youth culture contributes to the socialisation of youth at Phiphidi village in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. 40 people participated in this quantitative descriptive survey. A purposive sampling technique was used to choose the respondents located at two popular youth hangouts. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires. The findings revealed that the respondents belonged to some form of a group in their community, which were either formal or informal. The respondents’ peers played a role in shaping personalities as they were kept abreast with the latest trends, be it information, music or fashion. The use of technology was primary for this group and it was used to establish and maintain relationships, to explore the latest trends and to discuss school issues to an extent. This paper implies youth culture has a role to play in the socialisation of the youth.

Absent Fatherhood: Implications for Single Mother Families in the Odi Region, South Africa

Abstract Absent fatherhood is becoming a norm not only in South Africa, but also globally.This paper explored the level of involvement of absent fathers in the lives of their children fromthe perspective of single mothers. A total of 54 single mothers who were purposively sampled completed a self-administered questionnaire.The findings of the study revealed that a considerable number of respondents became mothers at a young age.The study also found that the majority of the fathers opted not to have contact with their children, whereas those who did barely or marginally participated in all aspects of child care and support responsibilities. Absent fatherhood wrecks and polarises children and families, and as such extended family members, community leaders and social welfare organizations must closely work together to prevent broken homes and marriages.

Curriculum Leadership in the Terrain of Curriculum Changes:: A Case of Primary School Principals in Vhumbedzi Circuit in Limpopo, South Africa

Abstract The paper reports on an empirical data collected from primary schools principals on the effect of curriculum changes in the South African education system. Using both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, the paper explores the roles of principals as curriculum leadership. The paper situates the roles of principals within critical theory propositions to determine the extent to which the principals embrace change. The findings of the paper indicate that for successful implementation, principals should be able to question their position as curriculum leaders. However, if no effort is made to enhance the interest of the principals during curriculum development, the schools will operate on a presumed consensus apparently led by principals.

The Involvement of Governing Bodies in School Administration in the Vhembe District, Thulamela Municipality:: The Realities on the Ground

Abstract The South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996) stipulates that all public schools should have School Governing Bodies (SGB). The SGB concept is one of the ways in which communities can be involved in the running of their schools. However, despite the good intentions of the education authorities, SGBs especially those in rural areas have not been operating smoothly. This is either because they have not been properly trained to understand their duties or they are not adequately schooled to understand the concept of governance. Community involvement in school governance is not a bad idea but it should be carefully planned, implemented and monitored for it to be successful. Communities and school authorities should see each other as partners. Partnership can only be achieved and maintained if there is harmony between all stakeholders.This paper looks at the performance of SGBs, particularly the realities on the ground in rural areas in the Vhembe District, paying attention to their functions and some of the problems emerging as they go about performing what they believe to be their functions and duties. The paper recommends ways in which SGBs can be effective in their work.

Assessment of Functional Literacy amongst Non-profit Organisation Coordinators in Sibasa, Limpopo

Abstract South Africa is one of the countries which participated in the World Education Forum in Dakar in 2000. The Forum led to the establishment of six goals aimed at meeting the learning needs of all citizens; youth and adult by the year 2015. South Africa is further obliged by the constitution to provide Further Education and Training and to increase access to learning. Despite her commitment to improve literacy levels, the levels of functional literacy remain unattended. The purpose of this study was to investigate and establish self-perceived functional literacy levels of the coordinators of the non-profit organisation working with victims of abuse in the community. The study adopted a case study design employing quantitative, descriptive contextual approach. Data were collected by means of a self-administered, structured questionnaire. Ethical considerations as well as trustworthiness were ensured. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse data. Study findings revealed that there is a close relationship between the participants’ self-perceived levels of competence and the level of importance they attach to functional literacy items. However, they concede that there are other items that they regard as important but they are not competent in. Self-perceived levels of literacy were ascertained and recommendations aligned to the Dakar and Sub-Saharan Regional Framework for Action.

Knowledge of Disability Rights and the Social Encounters of Students with Disabilities in a Tertiary Institution in South Africa

Abstract This study explored the knowledge of disability rights among students with disabilities and their social encounters in a tertiary institution in South Africa. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional quantitative design where self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 as well as the Microsoft Excel. From the results, 50.7% of the participants were males, and the majority (41.8%) was morbidity impaired. Whilst at least 76% of the participants were aware of all disability rights, about a third (31.3%) of the respondents reported being verbally abused as compared with other forms of abuses such as physical abuse (4.5%) and sexual harassment (3.0%). In addition, 37.3% of the participants indicated that they experienced stigmatization. Though the study found that an overwhelming majority (76%) of participants were aware of all disability rights, but their social experiences greatly fell short of the rights they should be accorded. The study, therefore, recommends the need to design and embark on ‘disability rights’ awareness and enforcement programmes among the entire university institutions.

Critical Elements of the Social Model of Disability: Implications for Students with Disabilities in a South African Institution of Higher Education

Abstract The social model of disability seeks to ensure that people with disabilities participate on equal basis with others in every sphere of life. Thus for students with disabilities, the model underpins the options available to them in order to maneuver their ways through barriers embedded in institutions of higher education. In South Africa, most educational institutions are barriers in the first place because they have not been purposely built and designed to accommodate students with disabilities. For that matter, students with disabilities have to weigh the nature of their impairments vis-a-vis their participation in educational programmes. Against this background, this paper first looks at what the Social Model of Disability seeks to mean for persons with disabilities. In addition, it critically analyses the elements of the model in the light of the perceived identified barriers that can impact on the functioning of students with disabilities in an institution of higher education in South Africa. Above all, the paper also makes a number of recommendations that will address some of the barriers identified in the model.