After securing the 2nd spot on the podium at his IMPI Challenge debut in Cape Town early in April, the IMPI bug has bitten and as a result keen trail runner Christiaan Greyling will be seen chomping at the bit on Saturday, 27 September 2014 when he toes the line at his very first IMPI [...]Greyling feeds IMPI bug is a post from: Trail Running South Africa


read more South Africa Trail Running news

Where are they going? What are they looking at? Are some of the questions that you will be asking yourself when you view Chris Robson’s latest exhibition “Looking Forward”, featuring on the Member’s Wall at Lowes Court Gallery Egremont.Â* Member’s Wall at Lowes Court Gallery You will also be saying I recognise that scene, or... Read MoreChris Robson for Lowes Court Exhibition is a post from: ArtnSpire


More Art News and Information ...

France swept the men’s Long Distance World Championships in Weihai with Bertrand Billard retaining his title as the fastest man across the 4km swim, 120km bike, 30km run course. Compatriots Sylvain Sudrie and Viennot Cyril joined him on the podium. “The organisation (of the race) is perfect,” Billard said. “I would like to thank the [...]France take Men Long Distance titles is a post from: Time-4-Sport


more Sports News ...

In the comeback story of the year, Camilla Pedersen (DEN) clenched her first world title at the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in Weihai, China. “It is one year since my bad accident. I have come back and I am speechless,” said Pedersen, who crashed on her bike nearly a year ago and was required [...]Camilla Pedersen wins Long Distance title is a post from: Time-to-Tri


more [url=http://www.time-to-tri.com/news/camilla-pedersen-wins-long-distance-titleTriathlon news ...[/url]

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) will push for the stronger use of ICT to radically transform basic education.

“We have come to the determination within the sector that ICT [information and communication technology] is crucial to improve the quality and efficiency of the system from a number of aspects, including administration, e-learning and teacher training,” she said.

Addressing the media in Pretoria after a CEM meeting, Minister Motshekga said issues of connectivity will be looked into to realise the vision for 21st century schools.

The Basic Education Department used the council meeting to present a progress report on a revised Maths, Science and Technology (MST) strategy, which sets out clear targets for increasing the uptake of Maths by learners.

Minister Motshekga said the MST office is now fully operational and the department is working on ways to better utilise its resources to benefit MST education.

Minister Motshekga said the department is busy developing norms and standards, business processes and sector plans for grade specific curriculum management and support.

“This is to ensure that all the deliverables are executed in an efficient manner within the given timeframes that ensure accountability at all levels of the sector.”

The Minister said they would also continue to cultivate a reading culture in learners to improve literacy skills such and reading and writing proficiency.

She said her department is developing reading and writing norms and standards that will provide guidelines on the quantity of writing to be done per grade and what is expected in terms of reading ability.

“A plan is also being developed to improve library services in schools, with a specific focus on the Eastern Cape and Limpopo due to the lack of existing services in those provinces,” the Minister said.

Plans are underway to ensure that every child has a textbook in every subject per grade. The department has also started a process of profiling all teachers within the system.

According to the Minister, 75% of teachers have been profiled in terms of their professional information, subjects taught and subjects qualified to teach, among other information not currently available on PERSAL.

Funza Lushaka graduate allocations for provinces and districts for 2015 have also been sent to provinces for placement. The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme is a multi-year programme that promotes teaching in public schools. – SAnews.gov.za

The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality has made an appeal to residents to use water sparingly as it experiences water supply interruptions in Germiston, Benoni, Etwatwa, Daveyton and Tsakane.

This, according to the municipality, is due to erratic bulk water supply from Rand Water and unprecedented high water demand driven by hot weather and panic storage of water in large quantities.

“Engineers from Ekurhuleni and Rand Water are working around the clock to restore and stabilise the water supply as soon as possible,” municipality spokesperson Themba Radebe said.

“At this stage, consumers are urged to use water sparingly by avoiding irrigation, car wash using hose pipes and filling of swimming pools.”

According to Radebe, the Germiston area is the hardest hit, despite municipal efforts to control water demand.

The Russell Reservoir is supplying Ellandshave, Raceway industrial area, Albermale, Dinwiedie, Cattleview, Lambton, Hazeldene, Hazel Park and Wadeville.

Two more reservoirs, the Hilltop and Windsor Water Tower, have been affected, further causing more water supply interruptions in the Germiston area.

The Hilltop Reservoir supplies Dawnview, Simmerfield and Wychwood, while the Windsor Water Tower feeds directly to Sunnyridge, Solheim, Symhurst, Gerdview, Fishershill, Homestead, Marlands and a small part of Witfield.

The municipality has apologised for the inconvenience caused and assured affected communities that both teams of Ekurhuleni and Rand Water are working to speedily restore the situation to normality.

“The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality will ensure that roving water tankers are dispatched to all areas experiencing low water pressure and no water in various parts of the region,” said Radebe. – SAnews.gov.za

Australia’s Brittany Dutton rode a gutsy solo bike breakaway to claim Youth Olympic gold in Nanjing on Sunday August 17 and continue Australia’s stellar success in women’s triathlon competition at the Olympic Games. Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Champion Australian women have now won a medal at every triathlon competition at the Olympics, including the inaugural [...]Brittany Dutton is Youth Olympic Champion is a post from: Time-to-Tri


more [url=http://www.time-to-tri.com/newsfeed/brittany-dutton-is-youth-olympic-championTriathlon news ...[/url]

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says the law must take its course against protesters in Kuruman, Northern Cape, who have prevented learners from attending school.

A group calling themselves the Road Forum began protesting in Kuruman in June. The group wants a 130-km stretch of road in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality be tarred.

The protesters have stopped learners and educators from going to school and some school buildings have been burned. Reports from the province say 16 000 learners at 54 schools are affected. Of these, 496 are matrics.

At a media briefing on Sunday, Minister Motshekga said it was unacceptable for learners to be used as bargaining chips in protests.

The briefing followed a meeting of the Council of Education Ministers.

“We have opened criminal cases against those people who are preventing learners from going to school.

“The meeting was extremely disturbed by the number of community protests that have negatively impacted on education in various parts of the country, including Kuruman, Grabouw and Sterkspruit, among others.

“We urge communities to take ownership of schools and protect them no matter what. Education must be prioritised above all else,” said Minister Motshekga.

Matrics in Kuruman will not be able to sit for the upcoming finals, but will instead write their matric exams in March 2015.

The province has provided a detailed catch-up and recovery plan for all the schools if learners are permitted to return to school and resume the normal teaching and learning programme.

Support for learners

Meanwhile, the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has asked for intensified learner support in communities where service delivery protests have disrupted schooling.

Chairperson of the Committee, Nomalungelo Gina, said the manner in which learners have been compromised is concerning.

“The committee understands the issues the communities are raising, but realising them should not be at the expense of our children’s education.

“Infrastructure, water and houses are all delivery aspects that spheres of government are working hard to achieve and realise,” Gina said.

“Education, especially for children who are from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, should be a priority. This Parliament will not compromise on this, and will do all possible to ensure a better life for all and that South Africa - whether rural or urban - is a literate nation,” she said.

The committee will this week go on a fact-finding visit to the two districts - John Taolo Gaetsewe in the Northern Cape and Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape.

Gina urged officials to assist learners in any way possible. – SAnews.gov.za

With just 36 days to go before this year’s matrics begin their final exams, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says preparations are complete.

“We can confirm that preparations for the conduct of the examination in all nine provinces have been completed,” said the Minister on Sunday.

She was briefing the media after a meeting of the Council of Education Ministers’ meeting (CEM) in Pretoria.

A total of 688 660 candidates (550 127 full time and 138 533 part time) are registered to write the exams this year. They will write at 6 740 exam centres, overseen by approximately 65 000 invigilators.

Final preparations are being made for the seven million answer scripts to be collected on the day each exam is written. The scripts will be placed in secure storage and sent to the 117 marking centres across the country.

A total of 41 546 markers have been appointed, and they will start marking on 1 December.

Minister Motshekga assured that the department will strengthen its monitoring of the 2014 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam processes to ensure that “the integrity and credibility of this exit examination is upheld at every examination centre”.

The 2014 matric results will be announced on 5 January 2015, and the results will be released to candidates the following day.

Last year’s matrics recorded a 78.2% pass rate.

Improving the quality of marking

Minister Motshekga said her department plans to drastically improve the quality of marking over the next five years.

She said measures will include:

Implementing a competency test for markers;
Authorisation of chief markers and internal moderators;
Centralising the marking of small subjects, and
Introducing electronic marking.

The Minister said some short term measures to improve marking will be piloted during this year’s exams.

“These measures have been canvassed at the National Examinations and Assessment Committee (NEAC), which includes all Provincial Education Departments (PEDs), Higher Education South Africa (HESA), Umalusi, South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), labour unions and other private assessment bodies,” said Minister Motshekga.

She noted that the CEM meeting also discussed a presentation delivered by the NSC Ministerial Task Team. The task team – set up by Minister Motshekga – released a report last month, which looked into the promotion requirements for the NSC.

Among others, it recommended that:

All schools should be required to offer maths;
Requirements for the selection of exam markers should be raised;
Life Orientation (LO) should be removed from the promotion requirements of the NSC;
An exit certificate for Grade 9 should be introduced, and
The standard of African languages at home language level should be investigated.

The Minister said that while some of the recommendations could be immediately implemented, others required further deliberation.

“These will go back to provinces for further roundtable discussions…” she said. – SAnews.gov.za

The hot Lanzarote sun with temperatures up to 28 degrees and a virtually windless day provided an excellent opportunity for breaking records today at the IRONMAN 70.3 Lanzarote 2014 British Pro Will Clarke raced over the finish line at Club La Santa creating a new course record of 04:04:17, around one and a half minutes [...]Clarke on Top in Lanzarote is a post from: Time-to-Tri


more [url=http://www.time-to-tri.com/news/clarke-top-lanzaroteTriathlon news ...[/url]