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The Star
16 hours ago
- General
- The Star
Why every girl deserves a seat at the leadership table
When we talk about leadership, we often picture boardrooms, suits, podiums and titles. But leadership begins long before any of that – with access. Access to education. Access to safety. Access to spaces where voices are heard and valued. Across sub-Saharan Africa, girls face significant barriers to education. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), millions of girls still don't complete secondary education for reasons of poverty, cultural expectations, safety concerns and inadequate infrastructure. And yet, we expect these same girls to lead in their families, communities and places of work. But we don't always give them the tools to do so. This disconnect is what drives my work in girls' education today. I didn't always plan to become an educator. I had trained as a lawyer – but everything changed in a Grade 4 classroom at Rembrandt Park Primary, where I stepped in for a teacher who had resigned. That temporary role became a career. I've since spent over a decade working in various schools – including Bryanston High School, Pretoria High School for Girls, and most recently St Mary's School, Waverley, where I served as Deputy Headmistress and Head of Boarding. This year, I began a new chapter as Head of Senior School at Roedean, a school grounded in strong values and a truly holistic approach to girls' education. It's also a place where I've found the space to imagine what's still possible for young women in South Africa. My own story shapes how I lead. I grew up in Alexandra during a time when South Africa was still divided and access to education was largely race-based. I was raised by my grandparents. My grandfather was a driver. My grandmother worked as a domestic worker. I didn't grow up speaking English and had to learn it at school. Even when I moved to what was termed 'Model C' schools, I was often one of only two children of colour in my class. It was a big adjustment, and some of those moments taught me something crucial about leadership development: it must start with creating belonging. Waverley Girls' High is where I finally found my footing as a young girl. The principal was a leader who embodied both warmth and firm boundaries. She had an open-door policy, but her expectations were crystal clear. She was strict about punctuality and standards, yet she made each of us feel like we had a parent figure we could turn to. She taught us how to lead ourselves. Her example shaped how I think about leadership today: as something built on accountability and genuine care for others. These are the values I now pass on to my students. My path to university taught me early lessons about resilience. I had hoped swimming would be my route to higher education, but when those dreams didn't materialise in high school, I had to pivot to study law at Wits University. I learned a harsh lesson that school had never taught me: how to deal with failure and manage my mental health alongside academic pressures. I wasn't equipped to handle these challenges, and it took me time to find balance. School had never taught me that setbacks weren't the end of the world. This experience fundamentally changed how I approach education. I tell my students that leadership is not about having all the answers. A mistake is not the end of the world – it's where real learning begins. Failure isn't something to fear, but something to grow from. Girls are often socialised to pursue perfection, to get everything right, never to disappoint. I want to shift that thinking. At Roedean, I want to teach our young leaders to embrace imperfection and see mistakes as learning opportunities, not evidence of being broken. All-girls schools can be intensely competitive, but they also offer something rare: an environment where girls lead everything, where they learn to disagree with respect, where they take the mic at assembly, and where they see themselves reflected in every leadership position, every discipline, every space. That visibility matters. But there's something deeper happening in girls' education that's particularly vital for Africa's future. Girls who grow up in these environments leave school with the skills and confidence to drive conversations forward, bring diverse voices to the table and create solutions that work for everyone – they carry qualities that make them powerful leaders in any room they enter. In Africa, we say a woman is a rock – the foundation that holds everything together. But when that rock is under pressure, how do we support it? We can't wait until it breaks to try to repair it. We must strengthen it from the beginning. Every time a girl is told that her opinion matters, that she belongs, and that her future is hers to shape, we're building the world we want to see. I don't want Roedean girls to simply sit at the leadership table. I want them to redesign it. Because if we are serious about transforming our continent, we must stop seeing girls as beneficiaries of development, and start seeing them as leaders of it. From social justice movements to economic transformation, from technological innovation to building communities, the solutions South Africa needs will come from young women who were taught early that their voices matter, their ideas have value and their leadership is not just welcome but essential. Girls in leadership should be the norm. That shift begins in our classrooms, with educators who believe that every girl deserves not just a seat at the table but the confidence and skills to transform it entirely.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
WUG 2025: Women's recurve trio in hunt for bronze
THE women's recurve archery squad stand a chance to win the bronze medal at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games (WUG) here tomorrow. The national squad of Syaqiera Mashayikh, Ariana Nur Dania Mohamad Zairi and Alia Qursyiah Mazlan lost 6-2 to Japan's trio of Nanami Asakuno, Waka Sonoda and Ruka Uehara in the semi-finals at the Sportpark Am Hallo today. In the bronze medal playoff, Malaysia, who made the archery semi-finals of the WUG for the first time, will meet China, who lost 5-3 to Taiwan in another semi-final. Earlier, the national trio sprang a surprise when they eliminated South Koreans Lee Gahyun, Nam Suhyeon and Park Eunseo 5-1 in the quarter-finals. In a post-match comment, Syaqiera said the achievement of reaching the semi-finals was something to be proud of, and the team needed to improve their mental toughness ahead of the bronze medal match. 'For me, our performance is something to be proud of because we gave our best and didn't set out sights on winning the gold... for tomorrow, we need to improve mentally because, in terms of skills, there is no problem,' said the 2024 Paris Games Olympian. As for Ariana, although she did not harbour high hopes, she is determined to give her best performance. 'If we get a medal, it will be a blessing because we also have a bigger target this year, which is the 2025 SEA Games, so this outing is more about experience and learning, but we will still try hard tomorrow,' said Ariana, who also featured in Paris 2024. Syaqiera, Ariana and Nurul Azreena Mohamad Fazil are the national trio who featured in Paris 2024, but ahead of the WUG, Nurul Azreena suffered an injury and was replaced by Alia Qursyiah. 'This is my first overseas tournament and I am satisfied with my performance,' said Alia Qursyiah. Tomorrow's bronze medal match is scheduled to be held at the former coal mine complex of Zeche Zollverein, which is recognised as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), here. Meanwhile, Malaysia's challenge in the men's team and mixed team recurve events, as well as the men's team and women's team compound events, ended in the 1/8 elimination round- BERNAMA
TimesLIVE
23-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Trump pulls US out of UN cultural agency Unesco for second time
President Donald Trump has decided to pull the US out of the 'woke' and 'divisive' UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), the White House said on Tuesday, repeating a move he took in his first term that was reversed by Joe Biden. The withdrawal from the Paris-based agency, which was founded after World War 2 to promote peace through international co-operation in education, science and culture, will take effect at the end of next year. The move is in line with the Trump administration's broader 'America first' foreign policy, which includes a deep scepticism of multilateral groups, including the UN, the World Trade Organisation and the Nato alliance. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Unesco 'supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes totally out of step with the commonsense policies Americans voted for'. The state department accused Unesco of supporting 'a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America first foreign policy'. It said its decision to admit the Palestinians as a member state was 'highly problematic, contrary to US policy and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric'.
Al-Ahram Weekly
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
US to leave UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias - International
The United States said Tuesday it would quit UNESCO, saying the UN cultural and education agency, best known for establishing world heritage sites, is biased against Israel and promotes "divisive" causes. President Donald Trump had already ordered withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation once before, in 2017 during his first term. President Joe Biden then reestablished US membership. "Continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. UNESCO called the US departure -- which it said will take effect in December 2026 -- regrettable, but unsurprising, and said its financial impact would be limited. "I deeply regret President Donald Trump's decision to once again withdraw the United States of America from UNESCO," Director-General Audrey Azoulay said, adding the move contradicted fundamental principles of multilateralism. "However regrettable, this announcement was expected, and UNESCO has prepared for it," she said. In recent years, Azoulay said, UNESCO had "undertaken major structural reforms and diversified our funding sources", including with private and voluntary governmental contributions. The US share of UNESCO's total budget currently stands at eight percent, she said. This compares to an estimate of nearly 20 percent a decade ago, according to a UNESCO source who asked not to be named. No staff redundancies were planned, Azoulay said. Bruce described UNESCO as working "to advance divisive social and cultural causes" and being overly focused on UN sustainability goals, which she described as a "globalist, ideological agenda". 'Same as seven years ago' Bruce also highlighted what she said was the body's anti-Israeli position in admitting Palestine as a state. "UNESCO's decision to admit the 'State of Palestine' as a member state is highly problematic, contrary to US policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organisation," Bruce said. The administration has also objected to UNESCO's recognition of heritage sites in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem as Palestinian. Azoulay said the reasons put forward by the United States "are the same as seven years ago" although, she said, "the situation has changed profoundly, political tensions have receded, and UNESCO today constitutes a rare forum for consensus on concrete and action-oriented multilateralism". Washington's claims "contradict the reality of UNESCO's efforts", she added, "especially in the field of Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism". The source at UNESCO described the US move as "purely political, without any real factual base". The organisation had already been "forced" to do without US money for several years after their departure in 2017, the source told AFP. UNESCO adapted but new sources of funding would still need to be found, the source said. 'Always welcome' Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'a r welcomed on X the US decision: "This is a necessary step, designed to promote justice and Israel's right for fair treatment in the UN system." "The United Nations requires fundamental reforms in order to remain relevant," he said. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, called UNESCO "an organisation that has lost its way" and praised the US for demonstrating "moral clarity in the international arena". French President Emmanuel Macron said on X that UNESCO had his "unwavering support" that would not weaken after the US departure. The UN organisation describes its mission as promoting education, scientific cooperation and cultural understanding. It oversees a list of heritage sites aimed at preserving unique environmental and architectural gems. Twenty-six world heritage sites are located in the United States. The UNESCO source said that the United States will continue to be represented on the world heritage committee even after leaving the organisation formally, just as it had in 2017. Trump was not the first to pull the United States out of UNESCO. President Ronald Reagan ended US membership in the 1980s, saying the agency was corrupt and pro-Soviet. The United States reentered under the presidency of George W. Bush. The American return under Biden was a major success for Azoulay, who became UNESCO chief in 2017, also because it included a pledge to pay back the US's contribution arrears to the tune of $619 million. On Tuesday, Azoulay said the United States could always return to the fold in the future. "The United States of America is and always will be welcome," she said. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
The Star
22-07-2025
- Science
- The Star
PdPR to be activated if API exceeds 200
KUALA LUMPUR: Home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) will be activated if the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading surpasses 200, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek (pic). She said the decision follows existing guidelines jointly coordinated with the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability and Health Ministries. 'Under the guidelines, outdoor activities are prohibited when the API exceeds 100. 'If it goes beyond 200, PdPR will be implemented, meaning lessons will be conducted online,' she told reporters after officiating the national-level Digital Utilisation and Technology Awards ceremony yesterday. Fadhlina said state education directors have been instructed to act based on the API levels. On another matter, Fadhlina said her ministry is developing and implementing various artificial intelligence (AI)-driven initiatives to further strengthen teaching and learning in schools. However, she said information generated through AI technology still required verification by skilled individuals, with teachers remaining the most reliable point of reference in the classroom. 'Various reports by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) have consistently stressed that technology should serve as a tool to support education,' she said, Bernama reported. The minister said digital transformation in the national education system must remain focused on human capital development and strengthening teacher professionalism, adding technological transformation would only be meaningful if supported by knowledgeable, creative and education-oriented teachers. At the event, Fadhlina said two teachers had been selected as Digital Teacher Icons, describing them as role models and a source of inspiration to fellow educators in driving digital transformation in education. The recipients were Mohammad Aliff Halmi from SK Tampang in Penang and El Gamillo Habibun Tan from SK Bukit Gasing in Terengganu. Each took home RM800 and a trophy. In the district education office (PPD) category, PPD Dungun emerged champion, followed by PPD Batu Pahat and PPD Alor Gajah in second and third place respectively. The awards is part of the ministry's ongoing efforts to promote innovative, creative and ethical use of digital technology in teaching and learning, by recognising the achievements of students, teachers and education leaders. First introduced in 2020, the ceremony serves as a platform to extend the highest appreciation and recognition to district education offices, schools, teachers and students for their excellence and commitment in driving digital education empowerment initiatives.
