Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
13 December 2019
|
Story Valentino Ndaba
|
Photo iStock
Safety comes first, fun festive second.
Safety never takes a holiday. The University of the Free State’s Department of Protection Services wishes the Kovsie community happy and safe holidays.
Heed these tips when travelling, away on holiday or in the street.
- Be aware of your surroundings and any suspicious-looking persons or behaviour (especially in queues);
- Report any suspicious behaviour or activity to the central security on-site or the South African Police Services;
- Be alert when leaving shopping centres. Should you suspect that you are being followed, drive to the nearest police station;
- Jamming devices are frequently used by criminals, so ensure that your vehicle is locked by physically checking it before leaving;
- All valuables must be safely stowed away in the boot or under the seats in order to avoid smash and grab incidents;
- Do not leave your handbags or valuables unattended while shopping; and
- Obey the rules of the road and carry your driver’s licence with you.Happy holidays! Enter 2020 safe and secure!
Happy holidays! Enter 2020 safe and secure!
School dropouts are more vulnerable to HIV
2010-02-02
 |
Prof. Dennis Francis |
Children who drop out of school miss out on information about HIV/Aids and reproduction health, according to research conducted by Prof. Dennis Francis, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State.
The research entitled “Towards understanding the way out-of-school youth respond to HIV/Aids” included out-of-school youths as researchers and identified key issues and problems facing them. It covered youths between the ages of 14 to 18.
The study, funded by the Medical Research Council of South Africa, showed that schools played a vital role in providing credible information on HIV/Aids and ways to prevent it.
It also found that these out-of-school youths believed that HIV/Aids was a non-issue and deliberately avoided the subject, with boys being the main culprits.
The researchers found that these youths got their information on HIV/Aids from friends, community healthcare workers, religious leaders, family and other youngsters. The way they responded to HIV/Aids varied and often depended on their social context, effects on their self esteem and sense of power, according to Prof. Francis.
They also discovered that knowledge about HIV/Aids did not necessarily translate into action.
“School-going youth displayed similar difficulties in applying knowledge in real-life situations and lacked the tools for doing so,” he said. “But, unlike school-going youth, out-of-school youth did not have the option of using the school environment to speak about misconceptions.”
These finding will be presented at the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation-funded Hope 2010 Conference in India.
Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za
2 February 2010