PROJECT I – Questionnaires answered by a number of suitably experienced Indian teachers revealed that there was a wide-spread conviction that pupils in Indian afternoon schools did not and could not work at their full mental potential because they had lost their morning freshness and were tired and unfit for school work in the afternoon. To check this, 144 pupils of an afternoon school were tested on intellectual tasks in the morning and in the afternoon in order to ascertain whether there were any significant differences in performance between the two sessions. Tests of vocabulary, intelligence, mechanical arithmetic, and paragraph comprehension were used. Performance during the two sessions was compared in respect of actual scores, accuracy, gross output, and variability on the four tests, The data was broken down in several ways on the bases of age, intelligence, and educational level of the pupils for the purpose of making detailed comparisons. In all, 168 tests of statistical significance were carried out. It was found that on none of the measures did morning work show superiority over afternoon work at the .01 level of significance. On the contrary, six of the differences significantly favoured the afternoon. It was concluded that neither the morning nor the afternoon possesses any inherent advantage over the other for work of an intellectual nature in school. The apparent superiority of the afternoon on six of the differences (eleven, if the .05 level of significance was used) was attributed to the fact that the pupils used in the study were conditioned to schooling in the afternoon. It was stressed that motivation was of crucial importance in studies of this kind. It was suggested also that the drawing of a clear-cut distinction between fatigue and impairment would do much to clear the confusion that has characterised work in this field previously. PROJECT II – The purpose of this project was to investigate the relationship between bilingualism in Indian standard six students and their efficiency in English, on the one hand, and their performance in intelligence and scholastic tests, on the other. The following three working hypotheses were formulated:- (1) Indian pupils would score relatively lower than English-speaking Europeans in intelligence and scholastic tests that demanded a greater degree of familiarity with English than in intelligence and scholastic tests that did not require such a high standard of English. (2) Since Indian pupils varied in the amount of English they used in the home vis a vis the mother tongue (i.e., in bilinguality), those children who had a richer background of English would tend to score relatively higher in tests that demanded a high degree of acquaintance with English than those children with a poorer background. (3) Apart from the influence of the home, the varying levels of actual individual achievement of Indian children in scholastic tests of English (i.e., their "achieved" English) would, to some extent, be related to their performance in intelligence and scholastic tests which required knowledge of English. The sample consisted of 697 boys and 355 girls from 20 Government and Government-Aided Indian schools in Durban. A bilingualism scale revealed that degree of bilinguality was associated basically with the religious - mother tongue affiliation of the pupils, with the level of western education of their parents (negatively), and with the level of mother-tongue education of their parents (positively). Hypothesis (1) was consistently borne out. The Indian subjects scored significantly lower in the verbal section of the New South African Group Test than in its non-verbal section, by English-speaking European norms. The gap increased consistently as one went down to standards below six but closed at levels above standard six. In the scholastic tests also the Indian students scored lower in vocabulary and reading comprehension by English-speaking European standards than in problem and mechanical arithmetic, subjects which involved English less directly. Hypothesis (2) was consistently negatived. With age and socio-economic status neutralised, there appeared no significant correlation between either non-verbal, verbal or combined intelligence test scores and degree of bilingualism in both sexes. Similarly, with age, socio-economic status and sex neutralised, no significant correlation was discovered between scores in all the four scholastic tests used and degree of bilinguality. The conclusion was that though the Indian standard six pupils were retarded in English by English-speaking European standards (as indicated in the testing of Hypothesis (1)), their degree of bilingualism had little or nothing to do with such retardation. Hypothesis (3) was confirmed. Ability in vocabulary and in reading comprehension was found to be significantly associated with goodness of performance in intelligence and scholastic tests, suggesting that schools would do well to pay special attention to the development of a good vocabulary and skill in reading comprehension. It was suggested that the reason for the grossly inferior showing of the Indian pupils by European standards in both the intelligence and scholastic tests must be sought in directions other than bilinguality.Figures were quoted to suggest that the key to the problem probably lay in the school-entrance age of the pupils. A full-scale investigation of this possibility forms the subject of the next project. A noteworthy feature of this project was that many items of incidental information of a social, cultural, educational and psychological nature came to light, that were as thought-provoking as the original problem undertaken, if not more so. Some of these certainly merit detailed study in the future. Examples of such findings are:-(1) The girls of the sample appeared to be a more highly selected group than the boys. They were younger in age, higher in socio-economic status, and their parents were more advanced in education both by western and eastern standards than the parents of the boys. (2) Matched for age and socio-economic status, significant sex differences appeared in the non-verbal, verbal and combined intelligence test scores, in favour of the boys. In the scholastic tests also, the sex differences that proved to be significant favoured the boys. (3) The most conservative Indian groups in respect of the adoption of English as the home language and in the provision of western education for their females were the Hindu-Gujurati, the Moslem-Gujurati and the Moslem-Urdu. These three were also the highest in socio-economic status. The most "progressive" were the Christian groups. (4) In spite of the restricted occupational range among Durban Indians, socio-economic status differences were reflected in both intelligence and scholastic test scores. (5) Performance in all the four scholastic tests was more highly correlated with scores in the verbal section of the New South African Group Test than in its non-verbal section, indicating that the former is a superior instrument of educational prognosis in the Indian situation than the latter. PROJECT III – A study of the relationship between the performance level of Indian pupils in intelligence and scholastic tests and their age of school entrance was the subject of Project III. The sample consisted of 1,693 boys from 12 schools in the alluvial flats area of Durban. In socio-economic status, this is one of the poorer Indian localities of Durban. The pupils ranged in age from 8.0 to 20.5 years and were spread out from standard two to six. None of them had ever failed a class before, so that any overageness-for-grade was due solely to the fact that schooling had been delayed because of failure to find accommodation in the congested schools of the area. Besides its immediate, practical relevance for Indian education, the study had a theoretical aspect as well. It was concerned with the nature - nurture problem and sought to show the extent to which a single environmental factor, namely, schooling, could influence performance in intelligence and attainment tests within the same ethnic group. The investigation was undertaken from three angles, each with its own working hypothesis. They were labelled (a) the study of relative retardation, (b) the study of relative educability, and (c) the study of relative progress. The hypotheses, respectively, were as follows:- (a) Of a group of pupils of the same age but varying in school standard, those in the upper grades will achieve higher raw scores in mental and scholastic tests than those in the lower grades, other things equal. (b) Of a group of pupils in the same school standard but varying in age, the older, presumably more advanced in mental age and experience, will achieve higher raw scores in mental and scholastic tests than the younger other things equal. (c) Given a group of late-(older children) and a group of early-starters (younger children) in standard two, the older, by virtue of their advantage in chronological and, presumably, mental age, will show greater progress from grade to grade and finish at standard six at a significantly higher level of mental and scholastic attainment than the younger, other things equal. Hypothesis (a) was tested by the technique of partial correlation and Hypothesis (b) by means of chi-square tests and one-way analyses of variance. It was not found necessary to apply any test of statistical significance in the study of Hypothesis (c). The instruments used were a questionnaire, the Progressive Matrices Test of intelligence, the New South African Group Test of intelligence (non-verbal and verbal), and scholastic tests of vocabulary, problem arithmetic and mechanical arithmetic. A scale for the measurement of socio-economic status was also designed to match pupils for home background (and, indirectly therefore, for parental intellectual level). Hypothesis (a) was confirmed consistently at three age levels. Pupils in the upper grades scored progressively higher in terms of I.Q.'s, raw intelligence-test scores and raw attainment-test scores than those in the lower grades but of the same age. The powerful effect of schooling as a factor in determining performance level in both intelligence and attainment tests was brought out in clear-cut terms. Hypothesis (b) was disproved almost consistently through all the four grades studied, the solitary exception occurring at the standard two level where the older pupils surpassed the younger in problem arithmetic. In many cases, the results were the reverse of what was hypothesized, the younger surpassing the older at significant levels of confidence. In the Matrices Test, no significant differences between the younger and older students appeared throughout all four grades. In non-verbal, verbal and combined I.Q.’S on the South African Group Test, the early-school-starters were consistently and significantly ahead of the late-starters in all the standards. With educational level fixed for all, chronological age became a handicap to the older. What was unexpected, however, was the fact that the younger students proved to be significantly superior to the older even in raw scores in the Group Test at the standard six and five levels from a position of more or less equality at standards four and two. In the scholastic tests also, the younger children in standard six scored significantly better than the older in vocabulary and problem arithmetic, and, in standard five, in vocabulary. There were no notable differences in performance in the other subjects at any grade level except that in standard two, the older boys headed the younger in problem arithmetic, as mentioned above. This evidence, in terms of raw scores, was interpreted as indicating not only that the older pupils were not superior to the younger in educability but that they were actually inferior in this respect in the upper grades of the primary school; that, in fact, the older, because of their delay in schooling, were stunted in mental growth and that this impairment became more and more evident with the growing challenge to the intellect of the higher grades; and that, therefore, the damage must be regarded as permanent. The results of Hypothesis (c) confirmed the conclusions of the first two hypotheses. The early-school-starters, after being somewhat behind the older in standards two and three went on to surpass the older boys by the time standard six was reached. There is some evidence that, below the standard two level, the older pupils are superior in intelligence and scholastic tests to the younger (in raw scores, not quotients) and that this superiority increases as one goes further down the grade scale. The crucial point seems to be standard four. It is at about this stage that the younger children seem to achieve stable parity with the older after which they draw ahead. In the sample of Project III, it was found that although parents higher in socio-economic status secured school places for their children at earlier ages than those of lower status, this factor was not significant in the determination of test scores when matched against the factor of age at school entrance. The investigation revealed that weakness in English was a significant factor, though not as important as believed in the past, in depressing Indian scores relative to Europeans in the upper grades. As one goes down the grades from standard six to standard two, the discrepancy between scores in non-verbal and verbal tests of intelligence becomes greater as command of English decreases. Nevertheless, even at the standard two level where mastery of English is weakest, grossly delayed schooling plays a more important role in lowering intelligence-test scores than does handicap in the language medium of Indian schools. The research confirmed two outstanding generalisations that have appeared in the past as a result of investigations among less-privileged groups, namely, an intelligence level below the national norm and a decline in intelligence quotients with increasing chronological age. It was pointed out that failure of the Natal educational authorities to provide sufficient school buildings to accommodate all Indian children of 5 plus years and above was causing serious and permanent damage to the intellectual growth of those affected and that, in the light of this finding, nothing less than an immediate regularising of the situation would be satisfactory. The study also brought to light how misleading results of interracial comparisons of intelligence levels could be if the factor of schooling, particularly of age of school entrance, is not taken into careful account. It was predicted that if Indian and European school children were matched for age of school entry, quality of educational facilities, language and socio-economic status, all alleged innate, racial differences in intelligence-test scores would disappear. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1961.

HIV-1 specific CD4+ T cell activity in clade C infected subjects has not been studied. CD4+ T cells play a vital role in controlling infectious diseases and there is a need to augment our knowledge of HIV immunology to aid vaccine design. We therefore embarked on a study to characterize HIV-1 specific CD4+ T cell activity in both adults and infants; assess the relationship between CD4+ and CD8+ immune responses; and the relationship between CD4+ T cell activity and markers of disease progression (viral loads and CD4 counts). Our study revealed that the magnitude of CD8+ T cell responses correlated significantly with CD4+ T cell responses, but that the percentage of CD8+ T cells directed against HIV-1 was always greater than that of CD4+ T cells. Gag was the frequently targeted HIV-1 protein by CD4+ T cells and had the highest density of epitopes targeted by CD4+ T cells. Patients with either a dominant CD4 or CD8 T cell response against Gag had significantly lower viral loads than patients in whom non-Gag proteins were the main target (p< 0.0001 for CD4 activity and p= 0.007 for CD8 responses). Single IFN- producing CD4+ T cells were present in significantly higher numbers than cells producing both IFN- and IL-2 simultaneously (p=0.009). Gag also dominated the CD4+ T cell response in acutely infected infants with IFN- production detected more frequently than IL-2 or TNF- . Longitudinal analysis of infants receiving early ARV treatment and then ceasing after 12 months revealed that early treatment conferred no protection against increasing viremia and disease progression. CD4+ T cell responses were detected sporadically in untreated infants indicating a dysfunctional immune response in the face of constant exposure to high levels of viremia. Taken together, the data reveal that a vaccine inducing Gag specific CD4+ T cell responses has the potential to confer some degree of protection, but other immunological parameters need to be investigated especially in infants. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

The study attempts to assess the capacity of football development programmes to help bring about development at the individual and societal levels. It is concerned with understanding the needs of underprivileged communities through their involvement in football for development programmes and whether such programmes are viable mechanisms to empower these communities with opportunities for a better livelihood. The study will consider whether grassroots sport programmes have any role to play in the formulation of development policy that promoted social integration, self-actualisation, improving cognitive skills, health conditions in underprivileged societies. Included within this formulation is the awareness of how to provide employment opportunities. The study will contextualise development within Amartya Sen's capabilities theory whilst looking at the role of sport as both a means to an end and as an end in itself through the lens of the work of social theorists such as Pierre Bourdieu, Robert Putnam and Abraham Maslow. A literature review on some of the potential benefits and costs of sport for development programmes, including a review of international literature of similar concepts being applied around the world will provide the background for assessment of the study. Central to this study‟s research is the particular initiative taken by WhizzKids United, a locally-based organization working in the field of life-skills development through the active participation of youth from underprivileged communities in and around the city of Durban in South Africa. Further assessment will take into account the perceptions of participants and stakeholders in relation to the impact the 2010 FIFA World Cup will have on development policy in South Africa, as well as on the delivery of football for development programmes such as WhizzKids United. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

This study was primarily intended to ascertain whether there was any test already in existence in South Africa which was entirely suitable as a test of school readiness for Indian children. If there were no such test, could an existing test not be modified to make it suitable for use with Indian children? Or would an entirely new test be indicated? As a secondary, though intimately related matter, it was decided to discover to what extent factors such as schooling, socio-economic status and sex affect an Indian child's readiness for school. An examination of the existing group tests of school readiness in this country, showed that the National Bureau Group Test for Five-and-Six-Year-Olds (N.B.G.T. 5/6) was the one which was most likely to be suitable for use with Indian children. This test was therefore chosen for a more detailed study. In pursuit of the secondary aim it was decided to use two additional tests - the Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices (1947) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - so as to provide a broader basis for the conclusions than the N.B.G.T. 5/6 by itself would have provided. The total sample of 156 six-year-old children, chosen from the Western Area of Durban, comprised three groups: (a) Schoolers (N = 60) : At the time of testing this group had had about six months of formal schooling. (b) Preschoolers (N = 48) : At the time of testing these children were attending a play-centre. (c) Nonschoolers (N = 48) : At the time of testing these children had had no schooling, either formal or of the play-centre type. Each of these three groups consisted of an equal number of boys and girls. In each of these sub-groups there was an equal number of children of each sex from the high and the low socio-economic groups. A random selection procedure was used through- The study of the primary aim involved quantitative and qualitative analyses of the data. Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficients and z-tests were computed. In the case of the secondary aim the statistical procedures included the use of 2 x 2 and 3 x 2 x 2 analyses of variance in addition to t-tests and product-moment correlations. The results of the study were as follows: General Aim (a) : The N.B.G.T. 5/6, unmodified, is unsuitable as a test of school readiness for use with Indian children. General Aim (b) : (i) Experiences related to the classroom learning situation, formal or otherwise, exert an influence on a child's readiness for school. (ii) Socio-economic factors have a marked influence on a child's readiness for school. (iii) A child's sex does not have any influence on a his readiness (or unreadiness for school). It was recommended that every opportunity for the advancement of preschool education among Indian children should be seized. This would compensate to some extent for the missing stimulation of a good home, an important factor for the promotion of school readiness. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1972.

This study investigated the challenges of managing learner discipline. A case study was conducted in two schools, the secondary and the primary schools in Pinetown District in KwaZulu Natal. The aim of this study was to investigate what challenges educators face in the management of learner discipline. This qualitative study was set in the interpretivist paradigm. The research tools compromise of semi-structured interviews and documents review. The theoretical frameworks that inform this study are behavioural modification model by Skinner, (1992), The Choice theory by Glasser, (1998) and assertive discipline model by Canter, (2007). International and local literature that foregrounds and supports the study were reviewed. Analysis of different contexts was made to inform the challenges of managing learner discipline problems in schools. The findings of this study revealed that teachers from very different schools, primary and secondary, felt that learners were becoming more unruly and less respectful than they used to be in the past. They further stated that the lack of discipline among learners makes it impossible to teach effectively. Educators identified some of the challenges they face such as bullying and intimidation, sexual harassment, drugs and alcohol abuse and carrying of dangerous weapons to schools. Furthermore, the findings revealed that lack of parent involvement in school, home and family background, abuse of various types, balance between learner rights and responsibilities, peer pressure, the role of media and politics were the biggest cause of disciplinary problems. Educators suggested that alternatives measures to corporal punishment were not very effective in curbing learner indiscipline in schools. They found it difficult to choose and implement the correct alternatives to corporal punishment. Some of the recommendations based on the findings are that, at the beginning of the school year, the principal and educators should orientate learners about the code of conduct and school rules. Rules and the consequences of breaking them should be clearly indicated to learners during assembly. Active parental involvement in the lives of their children is crucial for the management of discipline at school. Teachers should acquaint themselves and learn to know learner home backgrounds in order to understand learners they are dealing with. In-service workshops for all teachers across the country to be trained in alternatives to corporal punishment should be organised by the Department of Education. Professional support i.e. psychologists or educational counsellors should be increased to support schools. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Globally HIV and AIDS are considered to be a major health and developmental challenge facing humanity. The HIV infection of children is not only an area of great concern for families but for the future of humankind. Caring and nurturing of children generally is considered as a challenging responsibility. Caregivers of HIV infected children are faced with the added responsibility of ensuring that these children have access to life saving health care at all times. Caregivers who are responsible for the health and well being of HIV infected children face constant challenges in their care giving role and this has implications for the quality of care of the child. The needs of HIV infected children are complex and vital to their basic needs is the administration of antiretroviral therapy (ART). This study aimed to explore, describe and interpret the experiences of caregivers, caring for HIV infected children and accessing services from a public hospital in Durban. Using the ecosystems theory, this qualitative study explored the experiences of thirty caregivers caring for HIV infected children. The data was collected using semi structured interviews with the caregivers. Four main themes emerged from the data analysis; namely: The caregivers’ intrapersonal experiences, their perspectives on HIV and ART, their access to health and social services and their coping strategies. This study concludes that caregivers of HIV infected children within the public hospital setting, experience numerous psycho-social and economic challenges on a daily basis. Subsequently, these challenges impacted on the quality of care to the HIV infected child. It was evident that respondents dealt with challenges differently, as the older respondents were more equipped emotionally and psychologically than the younger respondents. Generally, all respondents were negatively affected by poor psychological and socio-economic circumstances that prevented them from ensuring the wellbeing of the child. The challenges that they faced on the micro level (economic and psycho-social experiences), the mezzo (stigma, community and family support) and exo levels (health and welfare services) together with the macro level (DOH strategic plans and childcare legislations) determined how they provided for the care of the HIV infected child. Despite these challenges respondents’ resilience and commitment to providing for the health and wellbeing of the HIV infected child was consistent and remained a priority. Multi-level intervention programmes are required to help caregivers cope with their challenges. As such social work practitioners need to take cognizance of the psycho-social, emotional and material support required by caregivers of HIV infected children. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Introduction: Micronutrient malnutrition has been identified as a serious health problem globally and is on the rise in South Africa. This is evident from the escalating burden of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in South Africa. Rural infants are the most affected, as their diets often lack micronutrients. Food fortification, vitamin A supplementation and dietary diversity are the strategies that have been employed in South Africa to alleviate VAD. However, these strategies have not been effective, for various reasons. Biofortification is the production of micronutrient dense staple crops to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies. This strategy could complement existing strategies in the alleviation of VAD in South Africa and in other countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where VAD is prevalent. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional composition and acceptance of a complementary food (soft porridge) made with provitamin A-biofortified maize by female infant caregivers from the rural areas of Umgungundlovu District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Objectives: (i) To evaluate the nutritional composition of soft porridge made with provitamin A-biofortified maize compared to non-biofortified white maize porridge; (ii) To assess the sensory acceptability of soft porridge made with the biofortified maize by black African female infant caregivers of varying age; and (iii) To determine the perceptions of the black African infant caregivers about the biofortified maize relative to the non-biofortified white maize. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Grains of two provitamin A-biofortified maize varieties and one white variety (control) were used. Grain and soft porridge of each variety of maize were analysed for their nutritional composition. The sensory acceptability of the porridges were evaluated by black African female infant caregivers, using a five-point facial hedonic scale. Focus group discussions were conducted, using some of the study subjects, to determine their perceptions about the provitamin A-biofortified maize. Results: The results showed that the grains of the provitamin A-biofortified maize varieties and their soft porridges were more nutritious than the control white variety in terms of energy, fibre, fat, protein, iron, zinc and phosphorus content. The results of the sensory evaluation indicated that there was no significant difference in the sensory acceptability of the biofortified soft porridges and the white maize soft porridge, irrespective of the age of the sensory evaluation panellists. The female caregivers perceived the biofortified maize as nutritious and health-beneficial and thought that infants would like its unique yellow colour and taste. However, the black African female caregivers perceived the provitamin A-biofortified maize as an animal feed or food for the poor. Nevertheless, the female caregivers expressed a willingness to give their infants porridge made with provitamin A-biofortified maize if it was cheap, readily available and health-beneficial. Conclusion: This study suggests that provitamin A-biofortified maize has the potential to be used as a complementary food item. Biofortification of maize with provitamin A could be used as a possible complementary strategy to assist in the alleviation of VAD in SSA. Furthermore, the relatively higher energy, fibre, fat, protein, iron, zinc and phosphorus content of the biofortified maize could contribute to the alleviation of protein-energy malnutrition and mineral deficiencies, respectively, which are prevalent in children of SSA. Although the findings of this study, like other previous studies, indicate that there are some negative perceptions about the provitamin A-biofortified maize, this study shows that provitamin A-biofortified maize soft porridge is as acceptable as white maize soft porridge to female infant caregivers from the rural areas of Umgungundlovu District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The female caregivers are thus likely to accept the biofortified maize for use as an infant complementary food in the form of soft porridge. Further research is recommended to expand the study area and consumer sample size in order to increase the confidence of inferring these results for large rural populations. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2014.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether Sibusiso, a Ready Food Supplement (SRFS), developed by the Gift of the Givers Foundation was able to promote weight gain among underweight children between 1 and 10 years of age. The study also aimed to train CAST community workers on how to assess and identify underweight children and to determine the number of underweight children aged 1-10 years who were currently on the CAST food aid program in Cato Manor and Chesterville in Durban, Kwa Zulu-Natal. This non-randomised intervention study was carried out on a total of 19 out of 20 subjects that initially qualified for inclusion into the study. A monitoring tool was used to collect data on anthropometrical measurements, symptoms experienced, disease conditions identified, level of appetite, meal consumption and energy for each subject for a period of three months. Study subjects were from families living in Cato Manor and Chesterville in Durban, Kwa Zulu-Natal, who were part of a food aid programme run by non-governmental organisation Church Alliance of Social Transformation (CAST). SRFS was compared to Recommended Energy Allowances (REA) and Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) to determine the amount of energy and macronutrients that SRFS provided to subjects in their different age groups. The predominant health conditions and symptoms experienced by the subjects were assessed. General improvement in appetite, meal consumption and energy levels among subjects were monitored during the supplementation period Out of 19 subjects who were supplemented with SRFS over the three month period, it was established that more children from Chesterville than Cato Manor were part of the CAST food parcel programme. SRFS was not able to meet 100% of the RDA and REA for subjects in their different age groups. However, SRFS was able to promote weight among subjects as 50% of subjects were able to achieve normal weight-for-age growth by the third month of supplementation. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection was the predominant disease condition experienced among subjects. A steady decline in the frequency of infection symptoms experienced among subjects was observed. Appetite, meal consumption and energy levels among subjects increased during the three moth supplementation period. In conclusion, SRFS was successful in promoting weight gain among underweight children and was able to improve the overall wellbeing of subjects by alleviating the burden of disease conditions and infection symptoms while improving appetite, meal consumption and energy levels. SRFS therefore was beneficially utilised in the CAST food aid programme. SRFS had beneficial effects on the health and nutritional status of the study subjects during the observed period of its use in the CAST food aid programme and its continued use is recommended. / Thesis (M.Sc.Diet.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

The South African context gives rise to a number of significant adversities that challenge the stability of the individual child and the survival of their families. The repercussions of these adversities are profound. Once risk begins to accumulate, the probability of a negative developmental trajectory increases. A group of South African children that are a particularly vulnerable, at risk, and marginalized group are those youth who are excluded from school. Access to the schooling system represents an important node of care and support with the potential of linking vulnerable children to key services. Eight youth from a town in a former homeland in rural KwaZulu Natal, who are excluded from the schooling system, participated in this research. The research aimed to map their experiences of school exclusion through a participatory photo interview technique. Using Bronfenbrenner's (1979) socio-ecological systems theory, this study has indicated that exclusion from school relates to risk factors present in the five contextual systems that a child functions within. From this research one can see how each risk factor adds to the web of exclusion that makes these youth hard to identify, access and help. The findings indicate that there is a need to further investigate the South African child care grant system and the impact it has on access to schooling, as well as to develop macrosystemic interventions to alleviate poverty. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritburg, 2007.

In recent debate within education, the notion of barriers to learning has been reconceptualised to focus on systemic issues rather than deficits in individual learners. These barriers are factors which contribute to learning breakdown and exclusion. HIV / AIDS has been recognised as one of the factors which contributes to preventing children from participating in and benefiting from learning. In South Africa HIV/ AIDS has reached pandemic proportions. There has been a call for in depth qualitative micro-studies to supplement the numerous macro, quantitative studies on HIV / AIDS to explore contextualised experiences of HIV / AIDS and barriers to learning. This study was aimed at mapping barriers to learning in a context of HIV and AIDS amongst grade 6 and 9 learners in the Richmond district of KwaZulu-Natal. The study used semi- structured interviews and focus groups with participative methods of data collection. The total sample was 60 with an equal number of male and female participants. The data was analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis and the framework provided by Bronfenbrenner's theory with a particular focus on contextual factors to describe and analyse the barriers to learning in the study. The study found that psychosocial exclusionary factors that were located at different system levels in terms of Bronfenbrenner's theory exacerbated the impact of mv/ AIDS in the context of the study. The interconnectedness of, and the ripple effects amongst, these barriers to learning create additional challenges for the current education policies to minimize the impact of HIV / AIDS in formal education / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.