Abstract: Two-thirds of illiterate adults are women, who are generally the caretakers of the family. This lack of education thus has an impact on both the children and the family as a whole. This explains why education plays an important role in ensuring gender equality in developing countries such as South Africa. This study discusses the influence education has in bridging the gender gap. The findings of this case study, conducted in South Africa, demonstrates the interrelationship between gender and culture and its impact on higher education institution gender parity outcomes. Since 1994, South African higher education enrolment has increased and the number of women entering the higher education environment is on a par with the gender goals in the region. Relative to existing literature, the targets set in the South African National Plan for Higher Education (2001) for Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) have therefore been achieved, although Social Science, Humanities and Education enrolments remain higher. Using a qualitative methodology, this study will seek to address the question as to why there is a grave need to increase the number of young women within SET sectors in higher education. While there has been a move to address this, the changes have been erratic and unsubstantial. The study will attempt to explain why there have been no significant changes in this important issue.

Abstract: Learners demonstrated difficulties when reading activities were conducted. The same learners displayed some difficulties when expected to pronounce simple English words. Reading seems to be an overwhelming task for most primary school learners, especially during times when they were expected to alternate attendance as categorised groups. This study explored how the recent format of schooling attendance in primary schools, due to COVID19 pandemic regulations, had an effect on English language development, particularly reading, as one of the major components underpinning language enhancement, furthermore, English being a foreign language for the learners in the schools investigated. A case study design used in this qualitative investigation helped the authors of this paper to study complex phenomena in relation to the problem explored. From the Eastern Cape Education district that was studied, conveniently selected five primary school teachers became participants of the study. Semi-structured interviews as data collection procedures revealed that restricted exposure to a wide range of reading resources when learners are denied access to attend schooling for some particular days, had the most effect on deteriorating reading enhancement in learners. As a way of concluding and recommending, language teachers have a task to ensure they supply all diverse users, this cohort being primary school learners, with all the necessary reading material for access even when out of school. By so doing, there would be an instilled culture of reading more so that well developed reading abilities are essential for learner success coupled with improved academic performance. \n \nKeywords: foreign language, reading, development, pandemic, teaching, contact time

Abstract: In education, academic performance has always been linked with assessments and evaluation of students’ results, which are basically related with students’ Intelligence Quotient (IQ) ability and forgetting other factors that are crucial for student’s wellbeing. Amongst those factors, emotions, personality, socioeconomics, conflicts and the challenges of making a good choice is related to each student’s personal development together with other process such as relationship, goals as well as uniqueness. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of these factors in the teaching and learning process of students in a new Diploma programme in Information Technology which may forecast their performance. To achieve this, we have conducted a survey with a small group of third year students at one of the rural University in South Africa, to identify the impact of these factors relative to their academic performance. The outcomes of this study shows that the above-mentioned factors are most of the time left out and that lead to students facing challenges but the support from Department, lecturers and other educational stockholders are important in assisting students to achieve their goals and excel in their studies.