Latest news with #overcrowding
The Herald
9 hours ago
- General
- The Herald
‘The children deserve better than this — we're drowning'
'Teaching is very difficult,' Boitumelo Mokoena*, a teacher at the school, said. 'Most classes have 60 to 70 learners. You're lucky if 10 are really paying attention. We're expected to teach all subjects to all of them and just hope they're listening.' She described how overcrowding impeded her basic movement, saying she was often unable to reach the pupils at the back of the class. 'I can't walk around the classroom; and I can't even move at all because you would find students sitting at my feet. 'I have to shout for attention and even then, you only reach a few students. It's really hard for students to grasp the subject when they can't hear me,' she said. Another teacher, Kamogelo Mahlangu*, said the school had a capacity for 1,081 pupils but was accommodating more than 2,000. 'The most we've had in one class is at least 120 pupils and when it's time for tests, you find that only 10% of the students actually know what they are writing. 'The comprehensive reading is bad; it's not a great teaching environment,' Mahlangu said. Multilingual instruction adds to the challenge. 'We try to teach in at least three languages to support the learners, but with these numbers, it becomes nearly impossible.' Just next door, Cosmos City Junior faces the same crisis. Teacher Ayanda Dlamini said repeated pleas for assistance from the basic education department had been ignored. ' We've been asking the department for more teachers and classrooms for years. Every year, the number of learners increases, but the space and resources stay the same. 'It's heartbreaking because we want to teach, but we are set up to fail. The kids deserve better than this — we're drowning,' he said. At Blue Eagle Primary, a school governing body member said overcrowding was pushing teachers to their limits. 'The recommended teacher-to-learner ratio is one to 40, but many of our classes are 1 to 60. 'The teachers are overwhelmed. You find that some barely go to class and when they do it's too much. They then go on leave because there's too much work,' she said. DA education spokesperson Sergio dos Santos confirmed that the problem was widespread. 'Overcrowding has a serious negative impact on teaching and learning. We've seen classrooms with 92 learners in one room. 'In those conditions, teachers can't get to the learners at the back. There is almost no one-on-one engagement.' He also raised concern about the multilingual instruction challenges faced by schools in the province. 'We support mother-tongue instruction in the foundation phase — especially for literacy — but large, multilingual classrooms need more structured support. Right now, schools are struggling to manage.' When asked to comment, Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona said: ' ... The department did indicate during the learner placement period that because of pressure experienced in certain areas, some schools will be overcrowded. 'As such, we are establishing a satellite school in the said areas, which will assist to alleviate pressure from the overcrowded schools.' * The names in the article have been changed to protect the identity of the teachers and those associated with the schools. This special report into the state of literacy, a collaborative effort by The Herald, Sowetan and Daily Dispatch, was made possible by the Henry Nxumalo Foundation
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
‘Stanley Tucci put my local Florentine trattoria on TV – now I can't get a table'
'It's amazing: you've sustained this culture for thousands of years,' gushes Stanley Tucci in his new National Geographic travelogue, Tucci in Italy. It is the third such venture for the Academy Award nominee, joining a long tradition of celebrity-fronted travel shows that find 'hidden corners' of the globe. This time, however, the stakes are different. Overcrowding at renowned beauty spots has been particularly marked in recent years, so much so that waves of protests have taken place across southern Europe. Generally, the sense has been that this was the fault of social media-obsessed influencers, snapping shots of Instagram-friendly scenes without much care for local people. Could it be, however, that travelogues are the original reason places feel overwhelmed? Take Padstow as an example. The Cornish fishing village, once charming, is now a prime example of the hype created by television programmes. The harbour-front teems with visitors; available restaurant tables are rarer than sustainably caught salmon. It's a phenomenon that has long been attributed to TV chef and seafood connoisseur Rick Stein, to the extent that it is often dubbed 'Padstein'. Stein first showed the town in Taste of the Sea, broadcast in 1995. The harbour town has featured, repeatedly, in his programmes since; elevated for its camera-ready coves and, above all, 'authenticity'. In the first instance, Stein probably did alight on something remarkable: this was the home of a declining industry, pulling in exquisitely fresh fish, in an extraordinarily quaint setting. But the ensuing mania has long since eroded that initial charm. His investment in the area – some four restaurants, alongside accommodation, has presumably entrenched his interest in the place. With that comes greater promotion (and more tourists). In the intervening years, this phenomenon has been repeated. Rick Steves took on Cinque Terre. Comedians – Jack Whitehall, Dara O'Brien, Sue Perkins – have explored Romania, the US and Vietnam. An inordinate number of city breaks were taken by Richard Ayoade and latterly Joe Lycett in Travel Man, with each element eminently replicable, down to pricing per activity. Its YouTube channel garners some two million views a month. This is broad-strokes stuff, aimed at the general holidaymaker. Anthony Bourdain's oft-repeated line about being a traveller, not a tourist, possibly inspired a different kind of holiday than Stein et al. The American chef's effect, though, might well be the same, especially for once under-the-radar spots. The travel magazine Skift cited an 88.8 per cent increase in internet searches for Sicily after an episode of Parts Unknown was filmed there. And many of the restaurants featured in his programme are far from unhappy. Bún chả Hương Liên, the restaurant in Hanoi where Bourdain ate with Barack Obama, has encased their table in perspex. It now advertises itself as 'Bun Cha Obama'. Travelogues do not solely send people in pursuit of restaurants. Take Joanna Lumley's series, exploring, earnestly, places such as the Silk Road, the Danube, the 'Spice Trail'. Her entreaties to visit these (often post-colonial) destinations are of a different style – and price point – to the exploits of Bourdain. Her programmes cater to those who remember her as a model in the Sixties, or her work as an actor in the intervening decades. And this is a demographic with money to spend. A recent report by consultancy firm McKinsey found that baby boomers – those born between 1946-1964 – spent three times more than Gen Z on travel in 2023. Here is, possibly, the difference. While influencers might display the delights of a stylish, design-focussed hotel, many followers will not have the income to take the same trip themselves. The Lumley brand is different: a leisurely Nile cruise is within reach for a large proportion of her viewers. This, too, is the appeal of Tucci. Here is Hollywood royalty, walking the streets of Florence – as the viewer can. He is just like us, the programme posits, making simple pasta dishes and drinking crisp apéritifs. He is stylish, undeniably, but he does all this with humour, and so can you. And here he is in a tiny, Florentine trattoria – tucked away from the main tourist areas, but accessible enough that, some locals fear, it will soon be heaving with visitors. 'It was a very, very, very local bar, totally neighbourhood,' says local resident Lucy Millar*, who has lived in Florence since the early 1980s. The owner has promised to reserve tables for her regular customers, regardless of the expected post-Tucci rush. 'I don't know if this will be possible, though, because I think she will be swamped. This is a whole different level,' she says. Such a situation has form. Tucci's first series highlighted the centuries-old Tuscan practice of serving drinks out of tiny hatches. Now, says Millar, the once-quaint cobblestones are besieged. 'The street is crammed with people every day waiting for a drink out of the wine window,' she complains. 'I have a friend who lives near the window that Tucci originally featured and there are people sitting on the doorstep 24 hours a day.' She does not, however, blame Tucci himself: 'It lies with the fixers who are doing the groundwork for him. They know exactly what they are doing. They have a responsibility.' For residents of a city, a travelogue might seem to diminish its essential character; the streets thronging with visitors all yearning for the same experience. As Millar puts it, though, that same sentiment might not be felt by business owners. In cities such as Venice and Florence, the tourism industry accounts for such a large proportion of the local economy that it is unlikely they will turn away promotion. 'It's a dilemma,' she says. 'You can't bite the hand that feeds you.' One thing is for certain, though: after somewhere features in a travelogue, 'it will never be the same.' *not her real name
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Prisoners in overcrowded jails more likely to be violent, research suggests
Prisoners kept in overcrowded jail cells in England and Wales are nearly 20% more likely to be involved in assaults, new research suggests. The Ministry of Justice published analysis to better understand the link between violence and overcrowding in male and female adult prisons on Thursday. Research of closed adult prisons in 2022 found inmates in overcrowded cells are 19% more likely to be involved in an assault over a one-year period, compared to those who stay in cells that are not overcrowded. The document added the true figure is likely to lie between 15% and 24%. The MoJ said this is the first time a direct link has been drawn between increased violence behind bars and the overcrowding crisis. The findings come as the Government approved the use of protective body armour for prison staff in high security areas, after four prison officers were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in April. Ministers have also accepted recommendations from the independent sentencing review to tackle overcrowding behind bars in the long-term. Prisons minister Lord James Timpson said: 'These stark findings confirm what we've already seen – dangerously full prisons lead to more crime and more violence. 'This not only risks the safety of our hardworking staff but means our prisons are failing one of their most important functions – cutting crime.' Latest figures published in April show the number of assaults on staff in adult prisons in England and Wales per year has reached its highest level in a decade. Some 10,605 assaults on staff in male and female jails were recorded in 2024, up from 9,204 in 2023 and nearly three times the 3,640 in 2014. A total of 30,490 assaults of all kinds were also recorded in prisons last year, the highest number of assaults in a calendar year since 32,539 were recorded in 2018. Ministers have vowed to create 14,000 new prison places by 2031, while plans under the sentencing review to curb overcrowding are hoped to take effect by next spring. This includes changes where prisoners could be released earlier for good behaviour, or kept in longer if they do not comply with prison rules. On Thursday, ministers also announced a £40 million cash boost to improve security on the prison estate, including to crack down on drones and contraband with reinforced windows, netting, CCTV and flood lighting. The investment also comes as the National Crime Agency, collaborating with the prison service, National Police Chiefs' Council and regional organised crime units, launched a new initiative to tackle drones smuggling contraband into jails. Two senior police leads will also join the corruption and crime unit within the prison service to boost work such as organised crime behind bars. Lord Timpson added: 'We must end this chaos. Our £40 million new investment will also help combat the flow of contraband which creates unsafe environments in our jails.' Latest figures show the prison population in England and Wales is 87,032, down by 1,489 below the record of 88,521, which was reached on September 6 last year.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Prisoners in overcrowded jails more likely to be violent, research suggests
Prisoners kept in overcrowded jail cells in England and Wales are nearly 20% more likely to be involved in assaults, new research suggests. The Ministry of Justice published analysis to better understand the link between violence and overcrowding in male and female adult prisons on Thursday. Research of closed adult prisons in 2022 found inmates in overcrowded cells are 19% more likely to be involved in an assault over a one-year period, compared to those who stay in cells that are not overcrowded. The document added the true figure is likely to lie between 15% and 24%. The MoJ said this is the first time a direct link has been drawn between increased violence behind bars and the overcrowding crisis. The findings come as the Government approved the use of protective body armour for prison staff in high security areas, after four prison officers were attacked with hot oil and homemade weapons by Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland in April. Ministers have also accepted recommendations from the independent sentencing review to tackle overcrowding behind bars in the long-term. Prisons minister Lord James Timpson said: 'These stark findings confirm what we've already seen – dangerously full prisons lead to more crime and more violence. 'This not only risks the safety of our hardworking staff but means our prisons are failing one of their most important functions – cutting crime.' Latest figures published in April show the number of assaults on staff in adult prisons in England and Wales per year has reached its highest level in a decade. Some 10,605 assaults on staff in male and female jails were recorded in 2024, up from 9,204 in 2023 and nearly three times the 3,640 in 2014. A total of 30,490 assaults of all kinds were also recorded in prisons last year, the highest number of assaults in a calendar year since 32,539 were recorded in 2018. Ministers have vowed to create 14,000 new prison places by 2031, while plans under the sentencing review to curb overcrowding are hoped to take effect by next spring. This includes changes where prisoners could be released earlier for good behaviour, or kept in longer if they do not comply with prison rules. On Thursday, ministers also announced a £40 million cash boost to improve security on the prison estate, including to crack down on drones and contraband with reinforced windows, netting, CCTV and flood lighting. The investment also comes as the National Crime Agency, collaborating with the prison service, National Police Chiefs' Council and regional organised crime units, launched a new initiative to tackle drones smuggling contraband into jails. Two senior police leads will also join the corruption and crime unit within the prison service to boost work such as organised crime behind bars. Lord Timpson added: 'We must end this chaos. Our £40 million new investment will also help combat the flow of contraband which creates unsafe environments in our jails.' Latest figures show the prison population in England and Wales is 87,032, down by 1,489 below the record of 88,521, which was reached on September 6 last year.
Entrepreneur
3 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Bezos-Sánchez Wedding Draws Business, Protests to Venice
The wedding is expected to take place next week in Venice. The lavish wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and book author and helicopter pilot, Lauren Sánchez, is expected to take place next week in Venice. Most reports say the event will host 200 guests and last three days, from June 24 to June 26, though the couple has not confirmed. But Venice residents have been protesting against overcrowding and mass tourism, something that they say is negatively affecting the small (the main island is about 2 square miles) city that receives about 20 million visitors yearly. The overcrowding has become so bad that the city charges a 5 Euro daily entrance fee on some high-season dates. (It's also not just Venice — in Spain, tourists are being shot with water guns on crowded streets.) Related: Jeff Bezos' Neighbors Just Sold Their Land. Here's How Much It Costs to Live Next to the Amazon Founder. And now the Bezos-Sánchez wedding is in the crosshairs. People gather to protest against the wedding of Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Venice on June 13, 2025. ANDREA PATTARO/AFP | Getty Images For the past few days leading up to the wedding, protesters have been making signs and chanting, "No space for Bezos," in an obvious play on words regarding the space company Bezos founded, Blue Origin. However, the AP reports that, despite the protests, the betrothed have used local vendors for about 80% of the provisions, and the businesses they spoke to were happy about the extra orders. The 6th-generation owner of Rosa Salva, a bakery that has been making pastries since 1876, told the AP that his business made a selection of items for the goody bags for the wedding and was happy to see the city in the national spotlight. "Events like this bring quality tourism to Venice," he said. "I don't see how an event with 200 people can create disruptions. It's responsible tourism. It's prestigious that a couple like this, who can go anywhere in the world, are getting married in the city." The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, is also excited for the event. Brugnaro told the AP this week that it was "an honor" that Bezos and Sánchez chose Venice. "Venice once again reveals itself to be a global stage," he said. Related: Jeff Bezos Is Selling Billions Worth of Amazon Stock, According to a New Filing
