Over the last two weeks schools around the world have opened their doors for the start of the new school year, but UNICEF says that recent household surveys show that some 123 million children are currently being left out - perhaps never to see the inside of a classroom. UNICEF said that in sub-Saharan Africa, 46 million school-aged children have never stepped foot in a school, a figure that has risen steadily every year since 1990.

According to the first post-apartheid national Census in 1996, 8.5% of South African children between the ages of 7 and 15 were not in school while approximately 16% of learners in Grades 1 to 7 were out of age (in school but older than their grade cohort by at least three years). From an educational point of view, these two groups of learners represent important lenses for marginality - children, who for whatever reasons, are unable to keep average pace with basic schooling.

The paramount chief of the Batawana tribe, Tawana Moremi, physically attacked Booster Galesekegwe, a photojournalist from the weekly "Mmegi" newspaper, and broke his camera on September 6. Moremi also attacked Kagiso Sekokonyane, acting editor of "Mmegi Monitor", "Mmegi"'s sister newspaper.

The International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH) is a leading international, non-profit, non-governmental organization focusing on human resource development, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. IFESH is seeking a long- term Program Coordinator and six short-term consultants for a community-based program to reintegrate ex-combatants in northern Katanga Province.