This page is regularly updated to share new and exciting sources of knowledge, tools and information on language and literacy in Africa.

New Report from Amnesty International: Stolen Childhood, Lost Learning : Safe Schools, Every Girl’s Right

Schools are places for children to learn and grow. But many girls all over the world go to school fearing for their safety, dreading humiliating and violent treatment, simply hoping to get through another day. Schools reflect wider society. The same forms of violence which women suffer throughout their lives – physical, sexual and psychological – are present in the lives of many girls in and around their schools. Every day, girls face being assaulted on their way to school, pushed and hit in school grounds, teased and insulted by their classmates, humiliated by having rumours about them circulated through whisper campaigns, mobile phones or the Internet. Some are threatened with sexual assault by other students, offered higher marks by teachers in exchange for sexual favours, even raped in the staff room. Some are caned or beaten in school in the name of discipline.  In countries racked by war, some girls are seized by armed groups, and some are injured or killed on their journey to school or when schools are attacked. Sexual abuse and exploitation are particular problems for girls living in refugee or displaced people’s camps. Violence against girls takes place in and around many educational institutions all over the world. It is inflicted not only by teachers, but also by administrators, other school employees, fellow students and outsiders. The result is that countless girls are kept out of school, drop out of school, or do not fully participate in school. The report is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

Download the Report here

SA Writers’ College

Contact admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a national, online writing school for career training and for creative writing enthusiasts. All courses offer at least five months of one-on-one training under a top South African writer.)
Tel: 021 433-2879; enroll at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

SDI-Africa - GIS & remote sensing news in Africa - June 2008

Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa) is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. Each monthly issue highlights recent activities, provides details about available data and tools, and includes notices about upcomi…
Date: Jun-02-2008