Walter Sisulu University (WSU) in South Africa, like other universities worldwide, is faced with the challenges associated with the outbreak of the Covid‑19 pandemic. The challenge has changed our day-to-day lives, including the way we interact and conduct business. In the midst of this, WSU has had to change the way learning and teaching occurs. Traditional face-to-face tuition had to be adapted by moving to the online mode of teaching and learning to both minimise the time lost in the academic project and protect staff and students from the devastating effects of the virus. This article reflects the actions taken by the University and describes its pilot-project approach to online learning and those processes it has put in place to ensure its effective implementation. While it is accepted that switching to an online mode of teaching and learning can facilitate flexibility in space and time, the reality is that the majority of students at WSU – mainly due to their geographical and socio-economic environments – experience daily challenges ranging from poor network coverage, lack of internet connectivity, lack of electricity and other socio-economic impediments that make online learning stressful or beyond their reach. In this article, we present a model that could be used by higher education institutions (HEIs) to respond to Covid‑19 in the short term. The proposed model is underpinned by a framework that caters for students who are readily able to access online learning, students with intermittent access to online facilities and finally, students who cannot access online education. First, we provide a brief description of online learning, highlighting the challenges presented to teaching and learning by this approach. We argue that our context and education policies present additional problems that militate against the adoption of online strategies by most HEIs. In the final instance, we present a framework that is better suited to our context and can be used during and after the lockdown. Data were collected using online questionnaires with both structured and openended questions from both lecturers and students to determine their experiences with the testing project. Lastly, we draw conclusions based on the findings of the study.
A number of factors indicate that traditional methods of acquiring knowledge and solving problems are inadequate. This article proposes the use of transdisciplinary training as an additional method in acquiring knowledge. The article further discusses the advantages and barriers to providing transdisciplinary training and suggests ways of incorporating such training.
A comparative analysis of models of child justice and South Africa's unique contribution Summary This article considers the models of child justice currently applied in various jurisdictions, either in isolation, or in combination with others. It provides a brief theoretical framework for the premise upon which various systems of child justice operate. Models of child justice influence how the child offender is processed through the criminal trial system and the degree to which the offender's conduct may be punished. The author posits that South African child justice, espoused by the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008, has potentially created, or inadvertently resulted in the creation of two further models of child justice. For this reason, the article submits that the Child Justice Act is sui generis in the sense that it incorporates indigenous African traditional justice processes. As such, it has the potential to extend protection for children who are in conflict with the law.
The purpose of this submission is two-fold. Firstly, it undertakes a socio-legal analysis of child sexuality and sexual behaviour. The goal of the analysis is to confront, albeit synoptically, common-held misperceptions, both legally and socially, on the subject of childhood sexuality. Secondly, the submission considers how legislation and judicial interpretation has responded to the expression of a child’s sexuality in South Africa. The legal and judicial analysis is centred on the categorization of age, and queries the wisdom of confining normal, non-deviant sexual development in terms of disparate age classifications as expressed in South African Legislation.
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