- “The textbook saga and corruption in education” by Linda Chisholm (2013) – from the SA Review of Education 2013. Useful overview of the textbook crisis in Limpopo and the broader lessons to be learned.
- The South African branch of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) have now launched a website, check it out: http://www.timss-sa.org.za/
- “What Makes for a Successful Paper and Seminar?” – useful 1-page document with questions to guide your thinking and research (all graduate students and basically everyone doing research – take note!).
- Great to see a brief write-up on “Interventions aimed at improving early-grade reading in South Africa” – an RCT designed and run by my friends Stephen Taylor and Brahm Fleisch. Yay for more rigorous research on what works in reading. While we’re on reading this New Yorker article (How children learn to read?) is also great.
- Congrats to the PRAESA/NaliBali team on winning the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (R6 million) for children’s literature (we will ignore the problematic and stereotypical portrayal of reading-in-Africa on their website)
- The Biennial conference of the Economic Society of South Africa (ESSA) is being held at UCT from 2-4 Sept. Deadline for abstracts is 15 May 2015.
Nic Spaull 