The transformation of teacher development by way of an exchange program as an empowerment tool, is a vital development of the student teacher curriculum. This interpretive research project is based on a qualitative element, namely, in-depth interviews with students from Tshwane University of Technology who were involved in an exchange program with students from Windesheim University in the Netherlands. Findings revealed that exchange programs can enrich student teachers immensely with an awakening awareness of other cultures, of events occurring and resources used by other countries for quality teaching. There is a clear need for institutions to introduce and foster international collaboration with institutions abroad to establish enduring relationships that will present students with opportunities to increase their subject knowledge and to comprehend its relevance in the greater context of the world. In the given case, South African students were granted the opportunity to learn and to teach at schools in the Netherlands. They could observe and participate in the machinations of a well organised and effective educational system. They returned with boundless enthusiasm to improve the local systemic dysfunctional structures encountered in the schools where they contributed their efforts during prescribed experiential training.

This article is based on research conducted on the topic: Safety and security in schools: The case of KwaZulu-Natal. For the research project a purposive sample consisting of secondary school learners, teachers, school governing body chairpersons and principals were selected from the rural and township schools used in this study to explore the views of respondents about the state of safety and security in their school environments. The research was grounded in the social interpretive tradition, using an ethnographic research design, with one-on-one and focus group interviews. Data were analysed using critical discourse analysis to construct the main theme: namely, safety within schools. The findings indicated that learners and teachers are not safe in their schools. Lack of safety and security is characterised by the vulnerability of schools with regard to issues such as fighting, violent murders, sexual harassment, stabbings, the use of derogatory language and threats. It is argued that there is an urgent need to address the concerns of the participants.

This paper investigates the question of whether Africa is moving towards a knowledge society. An analysis is made of the current initiatives that are undertaken in Africa to put the continent on the road towards a knowledge society. The content of the paper is structured in the following manner. Firstly, we explain what a knowledge society means and based on this definition we describe the technological and economic landscapes that shape the knowledge society. We also identify and discuss four interrelated pillars of a knowledge society which we coined as follows, information and communication technology (ICT) and connectivity; usable content; infrastructure and deliverability and human intellectual capability. We then use these four pillars to analyze the African content as a knowledge society. Our main findings are that Africa has still a far way to go to become a true knowledge society, but that there is hope to successfully transform Africa into a knowledge society. We argue that this success is based on certain preconditions amongst other investment in human capital, effective stopping of brain draining as well as the effective development and maintenance of a physical infrastructure.

A theoretical reflection on the influence of culture on learners' intelligence, learning styles and communication development These aspects have certain implications for assessment in the classroom. It is a known fact that biological characteristics influence learners' intelligence, learning styles and communication development. However, there are an increasing number of researchers who have established that culture plays a very important role in the development of intelligence, learning styles and communication. Researchers have identified four factors that contribute to the phenomenon, namely: socialising, conformity, ecological adaptation, and language. It should, however, be kept in mind that culture does not always influence the factors mentioned in the same manner. Diversity regarding intelligence, learning styles and communication will have an influence on the teaching and assessment practices of teachers. South African Journal of Education Vol.23(4) 2003: 344-348