The Turning Point

Interventions that matter start with local cultures. Supercharge the potential of Early Childhood Education in Africa with Professor Seth Oppong

Early Childhood Education is being increasingly recognised as a powerful tool for children across the globe, and exploring what can be achieved during this important phase of development, and how communities go about this, falls on the shoulders of academics such as Professor Seth Oppong, from the University of Botswana. With a background in Psychology, and wide ranging research interests, Professor Oppong is well placed to open this topic for listeners across Africa and beyond. During this episode of Turning Point, Professor Oppong is interviewed by Joanna Marriott, as he unpacks the key priorities for Early Childhood Development (ECD) professionals, and considers the centrality of championing culture in classrooms and strategies that educators, NGOs, decision makers and Governments could use to unpack the latent potential of this phase of learning and ‘supercharge’ Foundational Literacy and Numeracy across the continent. Join them, to see what part you can play in this journey.
 

The Power of Education - A Personal Story from Mayake Lamberte

Our own personal stories influence our ideas of the power of education, but also the shortfalls in its deliverance. It is either one of these reasons that people go into teaching (because it is not for the money!) In this podcast Jess King speaks with Mayake Lamberte and uncovers Maya’s personal story of how education has impacted her life, from her time as a Burundian refugee in Zambia, to teaching in an international school in Rwanda, and now as she thinks about what comes next as she embarks on a career outside of the classroom. 
 

Leadership in Education - where are schools falling short? with Peter Sloan

In this episode, David and Peter explore leadership in schools, what it currently looks like and what it needs to look like for a school to be effective and successful. Peter’s three decades in leadership are drawn on to identify what makes leadership in schools effective.

Experiential Learning - is this the way forward for schools in Africa? with Busola

The idea of experiential learning is an idea which is progressive in any educational context. It is also not a way of learning that is familiar to many parents of school-going children in Africa. In this podcast David, Andy and Busola explore the concept of experiential learning and discuss some of Busola’s experiences with regards to this exciting take on learning.

The Special Flavour of an African Education with Chilipo Gunda

Becoming a teacher at one of the most prestigious International Schools has, for Chilipo Gunda, been a journey through a broad range of education styles. Today Chilipo is one of the emerging leaders in education within Malawi, having taken on leading roles within his current school, and now looking outwardly in the hopes of having a wider impact on students who have similar experiences to his. In this podcast we discuss the merits of being educated in Africa, what this has meant to him and what it brings to anyone who has spent time learning on the African continent.

What does it mean to have a ‘Decolonising Agenda’? with Dr. Mthulisi Matshakaile

In this episode David Marriott speaks with Dr. Mthulisi Matshakaile. This podcast explores the nature of education in Sub-Saharan Africa as it currently stands, and seeks to understand the direction schools need to take to properly prepare children for the future that they will face in an African / Global context. The concept of decolonising schools and understanding education as something that needs to be contextually relevant is also touched on as part of the wider discussion on decolonising the whole system.

An African Education Success Story with Ann Rowley Morton

In today’s podcast David and Andy speak with Ann Rowley Morton who is the Principal of Pinelands North Primary School in Cape Town. After a visit to PNPS in December 2022, it was clear that this school is outstanding. Not only does it present outstanding opportunities for children to grow and develop, but it also stands out amongst others as a real leader in progressive educational practice. 
This podcast will explore the reasons why PNPS is like it is, and how it got to be like this.