Languages: 
WSU’s October graduation provided lucrative returns for one of its faculties in Mthatha where seven doctorate students received their degrees at the Zamakulungisa Site.
The Faculties of Education and Educational Sciences saw their staff being capped with doctorate degrees for their critical research spanning numerous themes, including but not limited to curriculum changes; improving teacher support; conflict management at university; strategies used to inculcate a reading culture; and the implementation of the redeployment and rationalization policy.
In his research, titled: “Shared leadership perspectives in rural schools: A case study of one South African education district”, Dr Mlungiseleli Ziduli explored these leadership perspectives in rural Eastern Cape.
“The study was prompted by poor quality of education in our rural areas. In my research I argue that the inclusion of community-based leaders (local traditional leaders, religious leaders and business leaders) by principals and SGB’s in school matters could result to high quality education in rural areas where the performance of learners is always low,” said Dr Ziduli.
He said his findings showed that the exclusion of community-based leaders in school matters hindered administrative issues and affects the academic progress of rural schools which results to poor quality education.
Dr Ziduli further asserted that the exclusion of community-based leaders has also resulted in poor behaviour and discipline amongst learners which manifests itself through vandalism and burning of school property.
“I suggested that there is a need for urgent capacitation of school leaders with competent and capability leadership skills on how school leaders should include community-based leaders in school affairs,” he said.
Another doctorate recipient, Dr Melikhaya Sikhephe, whose research is titled: “The effects of school teaching and learning resources on academic achievement of high school learners in Amathole East Education District”, investigated and found that there are still schools and teachers who have not taken advantage of technology as an extra educational resource.
He said some of the schools are experiencing electricity challenges which is delaying their daily work; and further, schools that have computers are struggling to utilise them because they have no access to internet at all.
“Amathole East Education District officials are slow in addressing challenges related teaching and learning resources. There is also a shortage of human resources to utilise the teaching and learning resources provided in some schools and this is negatively affecting the learners’ progress,” said Dr Sikhephe.
Of the 1033 students that graduated during the ceremonies, 66 were Honours, 20 were Masters, and seven were the doctorate degrees.
