My final week at JET Education Services (JET) was a sprint to the finish line. I began the week right where I started my internship, at the Johannesburg office. After eight weeks away in the Cape Town office it was nice to see Joburg based co-workers in person, but I didn’t have much time to catch up. Instead I was busy helping to put the … Continue reading The Final Sprint
Have you ever read a massive report with lots of figures and wondered how the authors chose what to analyze? (For an example: Education For All 2000-2015: achievements and challenges). I admittedly, had never pondered this question, when a report is over 500 pages I assume that everything that can be analyzed was analyzed. My thinking on this topic changed when I began to analyze … Continue reading Data Crunching
How would you run an education system in a country with 11 official languages? Talking about language policy in South Africa can quickly turn into a spirited discussion, with some arguing that the current system never fully cast-off is racist apartheid policies, others arguing that English should be the only language used and still more arguing that the current system is the best. To understand … Continue reading The Power of Languages
Prior to my arrival in South Africa, I was concerned my fluency in only one of the country’s 11 national languages, English, would limit my ability to communicate with locals. Turns out, I am not even fluent in English – at least not South African English. On my first day in Johannesburg I had to ask for directions. The conversation went as follows: Me: “Hello, … Continue reading Two Weeks – Two Cities – Arrival in South Africa
The International Educational Development Program 