The book Pathways to successful schooling – edited by Prof Elda de Waal, a professor in Education Law at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Edu-HRight research entity – was recently launched at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg.
Retired Judge Albie Sachs of the Constitutional Court was one of the guest speakers at the event.
The book is a celebratory retrospection of schooling in the year that the South African Schools Act (Act No. 84 of 1996) celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Prof De Waal is very passionate about this unique story in which she gives all the credit to the parents in the country.
Pathways to successful schooling focuses on schooling since 1996 and addresses practical alternatives for tackling contentious issues. Remarkable role players – including a retired judge, an advocate in the High Court, and an international expert – are among the authors of the book.
Retired Judge Eberhard Bertelsmann wrote his chapter in the book about the drafting of the School’s Act. Prof De Waal says that she has the greatest respect for the excellent input that he and his teams produced in only a few months in the rural areas during the early nineties.
Prof Trynie Boezart, an advocate in the High Court who specialises in court cases involving children, Prof Jan de Groof of the Leuven University in Amsterdam, and collaborators from the Department of Basic Education, Cedar College and the NWU also wrote chapters in the book.
Prof De Waal says that she would love to toast all the collaborators because they allowed her to get the book on the shelves within 14 months.
Information with permission of Netwerk24:
https://www.netwerk24.com/Nuus/Onderwys/die-rede-agter-wysigings-aan-skolewet-20171114
https://www.netwerk24.com/Nuus/Onderwys/ouers-moet-kreatief-by-skole-betrokke-raak-sachs-20171114\
From left are Dr Elize Kung (NWU - author), Mr Elijah Mahlangu (Department of Basic Education - author), Ms Thalita Komane-Ushe (friend), Prof Elda de Waal (editor), Retired Judge Albie Sachs, Prof Jan de Groof (special envoy from UNESCO- author) and Prof Marius Smit (NWU – author).
(Photo: Felix Dlangamandla, Netwerk24)
