On Friday, 31 October, the Siyakhula Sibasha Science Showcase brought community leaders, academics and young innovators together at the Khaya Ibhubesi Conference Centre in Parys. The event celebrated the achievements of all participants in the flagship project, ‘Reimagining Community Education Post-Covid-19: Mobilising Youth as Community Assets to Reduce the Educational Divide in a South African Township”, which ran from 2023 to 2025.

Teachers were the stars of the day as the Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU) recently hosted a heartfelt celebration in honour of International Teachers’ Day. While the global observance officially takes place on 5 October, the campus commemorated the occasion at a later date, continuing the proud NWU tradition of recognising exceptional teachers across its three campuses.

Dr Moleboheng Ramulumo-Mokhele, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education and member of the Research Unit for Self-Directed Learning at the North-West University (NWU), recently returned from her visiting scholar engagement at the University of Idaho (USA), where she explored new approaches to early-childhood science education.

At a time when teachers are so often regarded as the unsung heroes of society, growing attention is being paid to the emotional burden they carry on a daily basis. The question is no longer whether teachers are under pressure, but rather how long they can withstand it without severe consequences for their own well-being and for the future of South Africa’s children. Dr Marelize Vergottini, senior lecturer in Social Work at the North-West University (NWU), cautions that the emotional well-being of our teachers is in a state of crisis – one that can no longer be ignored.

By Mafumane Tlhapi and Mzwandile Ndlovu

 Prof Li Wei, director and dean of the Institute of Education (IOE) at the University College London (UCL), delivered a public lecture on 4 September at the North-West University (NWU).

The theme of the lecture was “What does linguistic diversity mean and how can language-education policy address multilingualism?”.

The North-West University (NWU) continues to shape leaders who make an impact in education. Bongani Steven Dhlamini, an NWU postgraduate student, has been appointed as the new departmental head for Setswana and Creative Arts at the Gaetsho Secondary School in the Boikhutso Township in Lichtenburg.

Reflecting on the promotion, Bongani says: “This appointment as departmental head is a tremendous honour and a significant milestone in my career. It represents a culmination of my hard work, dedication to and passion for education.

“You don’t have to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you.” This quote, from American author Dan Millman, has the ring of truth for Dr Khido Ramadie, educational psychologist at the Mahikeng Campus of North-West University (NWU).

The STEM education specialist behind Renewable Rangers, a digital educational game designed for children aged 4 to 6, has been selected as one of South Africa’s Forty Under 40 leaders for 2025 in the Education category.

Dr Moleboheng Mokhele-Ramulumo is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education and a member of the Research Unit for Self-Directed Learning at the North-West University (NWU). The official Forty Under 40 awards ceremony will be held on 18 October 2025 at the Marriott Hotel in Johannesburg.

Higher education, that sprawling landscape of lecture halls, research labs and late-night study sessions, is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. The Covid-19 pandemic shattered the status quo, pushing universities to rethink the way they engage with students and each other.

Byline: Mafumane Tlhapi and Nikelo Mehlomakulu

In the same lecture halls where many first discovered their calling, B.Ed graduates of the North-West University (NWU) gathered once again. This time, not as students, but as teachers united by a shared purpose.

On Thursday, 4 July, the NWU Mahikeng Campus hosted a reunion for B.Ed alumni, transforming the university’s education block into a space for connection, reflection and future planning.