By The People

One of the strengths of both public and private schools in South Africa has been the extent of parental involvement in school governing bodies. A new bill before Parliament seeks to curb parental power in schools. Julia Frielinghaus considers the implications and rationale behind the bill.

Many adults in South Africa still struggle with literacy. Riekie Human looks at the inspiring initiatives that have tackled this problem over the years.

Not all school-leavers can or should go to university on leaving school. But many want to improve their skills before entering the workplace. Helen Alexander undertakes a comprehensive survey of private further education in South Africa.

On a lighter note, Sam Wilson reflects on many years of education � or is that what it was?

Crime in South Africa is beginning to show a glimmer of improvement. The number of murders, for example, has decreased by more than a quarter since 1994, and the murder rate by almost a third. Nevertheless, crime rates generally remain high, and South Africans continue to feel unsafe. In this issue, bythepeople contributors look at innovations for dealing with crime, and also suggest some innovations that haven�t yet been explored in South Africa.

Fixing the Courts: Going to court can be a dreary and unnerving experience. Two innovations have the potential to improve the services at larger court centres in the country, while simultaneously saving the state money, argues Martin Schoenteich.

How can communities improve security in their neighbourhoods? This article takes a look at some of the activities that different communities across the country have engaged in to improve their safety. Helen Alexander reports.

Between 10 000 and 20 000 prisoners are released from South African prisons every month. These ex-prisoners have a strong potential for recidivism. There is a role for civil society and the private sector in finding better ways of dealing with offenders, argues Jean Redpath.

All gated-up and nowhere to go? Communities are increasingly closing off roads and erecting booms to restrict access to residential areas. Local authorities have adopted different policies in this regard. There are advantages and disadvantages to restricting access to suburbs and there is no clear-cut solution, says Helen Alexander.

Tourists are a special category of crime victim. An important reason is that they don’t know their surroundings, and don’t usually know what to look out for, and are therefore more susceptible than your average crime-conscious South African to falling prey to a criminal. Julia Frielinghaus reports on an innovative way of helping tourists.