Jonathan Jansen is an internationally renowned expert in education, who in 2009 became the first black rector and vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State. He is a regular newspaper contributor, known for his views on transformation, peaceful reconciliation and unity.

Need for teachers to get out the classroom and connect learning to life

Opinion

I gave my grade 10 high school physics/chemistry class a science project to work on in these June-July holidays.

Is corruption behind university assassinations?

Opinion

Let’s talk about academic assassinations.

Lekgotlas, imbizos, national dialogue — all symbolic politics pretending to give people a ...

Opinion

“Imagine your house is one fire,” one of Nelson Mandela’s trusted advisers asked me this week.

How to boost reading and numeracy skills — without teachers

Opinion

I have come to the unhappy conclusion that in the short-term, the best way to boost reading and numeracy skills in the ...

Donald Trump fiasco exposes white racists

Opinion

If you paid any attention, there was a lot we learnt about white South Africans from the saga of the so-called ...

Victorian idea of boys only schools meaningless today

Opinion

A few weeks ago, a polite, older gentleman sat me down for coffee and asked this question with an earnestness in his ...

It adds up that primary and high school maths teachers should work together

Opinion

Albert Einstein is credited with saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and ...

Trump pushing white South Africans to front of refugee queue no surprise

Opinion

Even before the 49 Afrikaner “refugees” landed at Dulles International Airport near Washington DC on Monday, the ...

The hard truth about why we still need employment equity

Opinion

It’s been 30 years of our constitutional democracy, and the subject is back in the news. Do we still need employment ...

Anti-academic sentiment: Could it happen here?

Opinion

I pondered for weeks whether to attend a US educational research conference last week to receive honours for a ...