Read to Read

Today is International Literacy Day, and also Tolstoy’s birthday (he’s the old guy that is popping up on your google browser home page). I first “met” Tolstoy when I was in matric. He helped me through my final exams by giving me a parallel universe to escape to, filled with people and events that I was not at all responsible for. What a relief!

People read for all sorts of reasons. Fun, relaxation and finding out new things rate as some of the more positive experiences. Reading for pleasure means you get to choose what you are reading because you are interested in it. You also get to choose where and when you read it. No one is making you. Some say reading is a form of play but I like what Pullman (2004) has to say: “Consider the nature of what happens when we read a book… It isn’t like a lecture: it’s like a conversation. There’s a back and forthness about it. The book proposes, the reader questions, the book responds, the reader considers. And we are active about the process… We can skim or we can read it slowly; we can read every word, or we can skip long passages, we can read it in the order it presents itself, or we can read it in any order we please, we can look at the last page first, or decide to wait for it, we can put the book down and… we can assent or we can disagree.” Read more

How to Study Maths

Studying maths is different to studying other subjects.  If you are reading this you are probably trying to study it for the first time.  May be you’ve gotten by on your natural talent up until this point.  Natural talent is great, as long as it lasts.  The good news is that when talent can’t get you by any longer, hard work can.  Learning HOW to study maths will make a big difference to your results.

Study techniques can briefly be summarised into three categories – summarise, memorise and practice.  For most of the subjects you studied up until this point, you probably focused mainly on summarise with a little of memorise.  Maths is different because it relies on memorise and lots of PRACTICE! Read more

So, You Want a Career in Defence? Part 2

To read Part 1 of this blog, describing minimum entry requirements, go here.

Airforce:  The Airforce offers opportunities for a broad range of young people from those who will complete apprenticeships in things like welding and electronics, through to those who will become Pilots and Officers.  To apply, you should look for advertisements in the newspaper or go to the SAAF website  in January – March after you have completed Matric.  Like our other defence units, you join as a volunteer for two years training with the Military Skills Development Unit beginning with 6 months of basic training.  Each mustering in the SAAF, also known as occupational class in the public service and trade in the technical environment of civil aviation, has requirements for specific education qualifications, additional personal attributes and a willingness to serve under the working conditions of that particular mustering.    Read more

So, You Want a Career in Defence? Part 1

Are you young and fit and interested in serving in defence of you your country?  The South African Police Force, the Army, Navy and Air force all offer excellent career opportunities for you.  The defence forces have excellent job security with free education in an your area of excellence.  Service fields require that you are:

  • A South African Citizen
  • At least 18 years of age
  • Have completed Gr 12 successfully
  • Have no criminal record
  • Be willing to serve in uniform
  • Be medically fit

Apply to the Army, Navy and Air Force in FEBRUARY.   You will hear the result by SEPTEMBER.  The 2018 application form is available here.  If you are currently in Matric, you cannot apply until next year February to start in October.  This means you will have a year that you need to fill in with other activities.  You can phone an army recruiter, contact details here.    Read this website for more information on how to join.

The Police Force advertise their recruitment phases in public listings such as newspapers.  More information on their application process is available here.  Read more