‘HISTORY MAY BE MADE COMPULSORY IN ALL SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS’ I read with interest – and some concern – an article entitled ‘History may be made compulsory in all South African schools’ in The Sunday Times (5/4/2015). As a history teacher who has taught more history lessons than I care to remember, I wondered at the...

Yes, you read that right, and I feel joyous that I haven’t been a dreary naysayer without reason. I know times are a-changing; I understand the benefits of technology and using handheld devices, but one solution doesn’t fit all. Take workbooks for example, where learners make notes and mindmaps in order to fix...

I recently attended a production of Othello at the Maynardville Open-air Theatre in Cape Town. When I saw the poster advertising the production, I thought to myself, ‘Oh, no! That doesn’t look like Othello!’ (See top left-hand photo in the collage.) While he certainly looked strong of character, and fearless, to me...

DID YOU KNOW THAT ‘ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND’ IS RATED ONE OF THE TOP NOVELS? According to an article in The Guardian, the story is ranked 18 in a list of the 100 best novels. While the novel was first published in 1865, it has never been out of print and has been translated into about 100 languages. We would...

With the recent discussions in the press about the best way to publish learners’ results, I started thinking about those learners who do not pass. While most learners are optimistic about passing their matric exams, some may have doubts about their success or failure, and a handful might receive news of their failure...

I recently attended a presentation at the University of Johannesburg by Chris Thurman, Associate Professor at Wits University. His talk focused on the relevance of teaching Shakespeare in a South African context. It raised an important question: Why do we continue to teach Shakespeare to a population that has...

I think it is true to say that most of us like to be heard, but some people are more determined than others, and in an effort to pursue their mission, they write columns or blogs. It is also true that not everyone who writes a blog writes well … which brings me to the purpose of these musings: Barry Ronge, the...

Reading ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ is like watching the Titanic sail across the glimmering ocean knowing that disaster is just beyond the horizon: despite all its beauty and intensity, you can’t shake that ‘sinking feeling’. I wonder how many modern teenagers read the novel for the first time without knowing its...

This was one of the many questions posed at the recent Franschhoek literary festival, and one which certainly didn’t get a definitive answer. The jury is still out on whether popular reads and crime fiction should be classified as ‘literature’. However, it was generally felt that literature should evoke an emotional...

When I was in matric, we studied ‘A Rose for Winter’ by Laurie Lee. I thoroughly enjoyed the change in genre and, I suppose, it was my first ‘armchair travel’ book. But I haven’t come across any other non-fiction titles that have been prescribed for Grade 12. A valued colleague of mine mentioned that it is a shame...