Plans by the government of Liberia to turn its troubled school system to a US-based private company, in possibly the largest and most ambitious education privatization scheme in Africa, is facing stiff opposition from the United Nations and could cause a nationwide teachers strike.
The West African nation announced in January that it plans to outsource management of the entire pre-primary and primary education system to a for-profit low-cost private education company, Bridge International Academies.
Bridge International, a company founded in 2007 and funded by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft’s Bill Gates and World Bank’s private sector lending arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), operates a franchise-like network of low-cost primary school in urban slums and rural areas that charge as little as $6 per month to poor parents.
The company runs more than 400 private schools with about 100,000 pupils in Kenya and has been on an expansion spree into Uganda, Nigeria and India where it plans to replicate the Kenyan model.
It plans to educate 10 million children across a dozen countries in Africa and Asia by 2025, specifically targeting low-income families.
The model has however come under criticism from aid agencies and civil rights groups, including ActionAid and Education for All, for taking away money that could have been invested in improving “universal, free and compulsory basic education”.
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Volume of SA, foreign travellers increase
Cape Town – The volume of arrivals and departures increased for both South African residents and foreign travellers between March 2015 and March 2016, Statistics SA said on Monday.
At the same time, the volume of transits decreased for South African residents but increased for foreign travellers.
In March 2016, there were 1 435 879 foreign arrivals to South Africa.
The arrivals were made up of 90 792 non-visitors and 1 345 087 visitors. The visitors consisted of 440 493 same-day visitors and 904 594 overnight visitors (tourists).
The breakdown of the tourists by region shows 235 640 from overseas; 653 598 from the SADC countries; 14 422 from “other” African countries and the country of residence of 934 tourists was classified as unspecified.
A comparison between the movements in February 2016 and March 2016 indicates that the volume of arrivals, departures and transits increased for both South African residents and foreign travellers. The volume of arrivals for South African residents increased by 36.2% (from 330 895 in February 2016 to 450 637 in March 2016), departures increased by 44.2% (from 336 167 in February 2016 to 484 750 in March 2016) and transits increased by 17.3% (from 618 in February 2016 to 725 in March 2016).
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Cash Instead Of Land For Kruger Park Communities Displaced By Apartheid
The South African government on Friday paid more than $5 million in compensation to six communities for land in the Kruger National Park taken from them under apartheid.
President Jacob Zuma said land compensation will restore the rights and dignity of those who have been dispossessed.
About 318,000 hectares of land was taken from hundreds families at the Kruger National Park after 1913 and 17 claims were filed against the park by locals in 1998. The communities compensated included three from Limpopo and three from Mpumalanga,
Zuma said land is paramount to the survival of South Africans.
“From land we derive our existence, our wealth, minerals, food and other essentials. From land we build our homes and without land we cannot exist,” he said.
Zuma said the game reserve as a national heritage site. But some people say money can never replace the ownership of land. Claimant Nelson Mona says he is not happy about the amount of compensation.
“In South Africa you have a concentration of land ownership in the hands of a few people. That is something we have to correct,” Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Gugile Nkwinti said before a ceremony in Kruger National Park where Zuma handed over 84 million rand ($5.38 million US) in compensation to black communities evicted decades ago.
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The Stunning Cederberg: 9 Reasons To Visit South Africa’s National Treasure
Often overlooked by first-time travelers to South Africa, the Cederberg should be at the top of more itineraries as one of the Western Cape province’s most spectacular natural treasures. About two hours’ drive north of Cape Town, the semi-desert Cederberg Wilderness Area spans 320 square miles of rugged mountains with dramatic wind-carved sandstone formations, fertile valleys that fill with wild flowers come springtime, indigenous mountain fynbos and ancient rock art. There are activities by the bucketload in the Cederberg to suit the whole family (whether adventurous or not), ranging from rock climbing and rock art viewing to rooibos and wine tasting – all alluring reasons to visit this pristine wilderness.
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Liberia’s Plan To Outsource Schools To Bridge International Faces Huddles
Plans by the government of Liberia to turn its troubled school system to a US-based private company, in possibly the largest and most ambitious education privatization scheme in Africa, is facing stiff opposition from the United Nations and could cause a nationwide teachers strike.
The West African nation announced in January that it plans to outsource management of the entire pre-primary and primary education system to a for-profit low-cost private education company, Bridge International Academies.
Bridge International, a company founded in 2007 and funded by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft’s Bill Gates and World Bank’s private sector lending arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), operates a franchise-like network of low-cost primary school in urban slums and rural areas that charge as little as $6 per month to poor parents.
The company runs more than 400 private schools with about 100,000 pupils in Kenya and has been on an expansion spree into Uganda, Nigeria and India where it plans to replicate the Kenyan model.
The model has however come under criticism from aid agencies and civil rights groups, including ActionAid and Education for All, for taking away money that could have been invested in improving “universal, free and compulsory basic education”.
Source