HSF briefs

The Covid-19 Epidemic And Primary School Education II – The Impact On Learning Outcomes

This is the second of three briefs discussing the delivery of primary education during covid-19, primarily in Quantile 1 to 3 in schools. The previous brief pointed out the unpredictability of the virus and its impact on school contact time. In this brief, we look at the impact on learning outcomes and consider the possible effect of the rollout of the vaccine.

The Covid-19 Epidemic And Primary School Education I – Priorities

This is the first of three briefs discussing the delivery of primary school education during Covid-19, concentrating on Quantile 1 to 3 schools. These briefs emphasise two points: the first is the need to prioritise safety in schools in relation to the spread of the infection and the second is to prioritise the importance of learning over other school activities.

To postpone, or not to postpone? That is the question.

This brief will consider the pertinent question: What are the issues that the Constitutional Court will have to decide at the hearing of the Electoral Commission of South Africa v Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Others?

The Southern African Development Community III – Education And Labour Market

The Southern African Development Community is made up of sixteen countries and all countries on the continent with territory below five degrees south. The fifteen other countries are linked to South Africa in many ways and constitute our ‘near abroad’. South Africans should know more about them than they often do, and the purpose of this brief series is to set the current state of development in its various aspects: demographic, economic, political and social. This brief focuses on the region’s rates of education and it labour market.

The Southern African Development Community II – Economy: Levels, Growth, Structure, Income Distribution And Happiness

The Southern African Development Community is made up of sixteen countries and all countries on the continent with territory below five degrees south. The fifteen other countries are linked to South Africa in many ways and constitute our ‘near abroad’. South Africans should know more about them than they often do, and the purpose of this brief series is to set the current state of development in its various aspects: demographic, economic, political and social. This brief focusses on the region’s economy – in particular, its growth, structure, income distribution and levels of happiness among its population.

The Southern African Development Community I – Population

The Southern African Development Community is made up of sixteen countries and all countries on the continent with territory below five degrees south. The fifteen other countries are linked to South Africa in many ways and constitute our ‘near abroad’. South Africans should know more about them than they often do, and the purpose of this brief series is to set the current state of development in its various aspects: demographic, economic, political and social. This brief focusses on the region’s population dynamics, namely the evolution of population size and its age structure, as determined by fertility, mortality and migration.

The Effects Of Looting On The South African Health Care System At A Time When It Is Most Needed

In the past week and a half, South African news has been overtaken by reports of violent riots and looting which started in protest to the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma. The effect of the looting is evident on small and big businesses as well as the economy, increasing unemployment and making it difficult for businesses to recover from their losses. However, there are ripple effects which are not as clear. These include those on the health sector, and by extension the vaccine roll out.

Away from colonialism or not? The Constitutional Court is to decide an important UNISA v Afriforum case on language policy at University level in terms of s 29(2) of the Constitution

This brief explores the review case currently in the Constitutional Court on language policy at the University of South Africa. This case touches on issues of transformation at tertiary level as it affects university culture and representation.