This paper delves into the multifaceted landscape of South Africa's 2004 e-education White Paper, addressing critical issues related to digital equity, educational disparities, and leadership, particularly in the context of the post-COVID-19 era. The study employs a qualitative approach, conducting in-depth content analysis of policy reports,…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education worldwide as educational systems made the decision to close schools to contain the spread of the virus. The duration of school closures varied greatly internationally. In this study, we use representative trend data from more than 300,000 students in 29 countries to examine whether the cross-country…

The theme of the conference seems to assume that most countries had functional and well-performing education systems before the COVID-19 pandemic. All they need to do now is to recover and restore their systems to their former glory. Evaluations of the South African education system between 1994 and 2022 have been extremely negative. The question…

To mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning, the School Recovery Plan (SRP) was implemented by the Department of Basic Education in South Africa. In this study, we explore the impact of the SRP on teachers' conceptualisation of new and different assessment practices. Data were obtained from 1098 teachers using an…

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new opportunities to tap into teachers' own reservoirs of experiences and knowledge to develop them as teacher leaders, while minimising the potential for conflict with their colleagues and reducing confusion about their responsibilities. In this article, we describe some key themes identified and lessons learned…

Understanding higher education internationalization is challenging as it includes different dimensions with varied implications for universities. This paper focuses on the recruitment and teaching of international students. It explores the experiences of African international students at two South African universities between 2020-2022, during the…

COVID-19 pandemic has affected one and all in unison. Different sectors, including the educational sector, have been disproportionately affected in developing and the least developed nations. Against this backdrop, this paper, while considering the impact that the pandemic has had on the education sector in developing nations viz. -- India, South…

Teacher education has gathered interest globally and nationally among teachers, educators, researchers and policy makers. Madalinska-Michalak, O 'Doherty and Assuno Flores (2018) observe that regional/ national, social, economic, political and historical factors impact upon teacher education and 'it is also impacted by global problems and…

Pedagogical contingency policy planning in open distance and e-learning plays a critical role in achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim to stem poverty, protect the planet, foster gender equality, defend and promote cultures and cultural understanding, and ensure…

Technology-based platforms in higher education institutions (HEIs), including online learning, require innovative approaches to ensure inclusive and transformative educational spaces for students living with disabilities. Achieving social equality, technology access and inclusion may contribute to ensuring a seamless instructional design for…

This report presents a survey of distance learning in South Africa. The report reviews current policy and practice in relation to issues of access, equity, quality and costs. This was done using a survey of open distance learning (ODL) institutions, data from different institutions, and available studies conducted by Commonwealth of Learning…

COVID-19 pandemic experiences have globally accelerated technology use in higher education, including in developing countries like South Africa. The advancements and use of technology during the COVID-19 lockdown led to increased access to knowledge relevant to educational, professional, and personal development. Nonetheless, difficulties with…

South Africa must embark upon the third epoch of education policy after the failures of the first two epochs: the 1953-1994 ("apartheid") era and the 1994-2021 era (the dawn of democracy and the dismantling of apartheid structures). There were not enough education opportunities to guide all the children of the country to maturity and…

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, resulting in disruptions to education at an unprecedented scale. In response to the urgent need to recover learning losses, countries worldwide have taken RAPID actions to: Reach every child and keep them in school; Assess learning levels regularly; Prioritize…

When making study choices, students often find it challenging to identify their interests and strengths. Higher education (HE) systems that do not offer opportunities for reorientation and transfer run the risk of some students never completing their studies. This policy brief examines the different flexible pathways institutions can choose to…