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A critical appraisal
Get PDFThis study investigates the philosophical, linguistic and computational dimensions of Leibniz’s
ambitious scheme of mathematizing natural language and automating reasoning for the purposes
of developing what he referred to as the ‘Encyclopaedia of human knowledge.’ Leibniz envisioned
a universal language capable of perfectly mirroring reality and representing human knowledge
through symbolism; and he referred to such a language as the characteristica universalis. In a
complementary manner, he sought to develop an automated framework for logical inferences
through what he referred to as the calculus ratiocinator. This study appraises the feasibility of
Leibniz’s ideas in natural discourse. It provides an in-depth analysis of the historical perspectives
about natural language from which Leibniz ideas emerged. It also demonstrates attempts made
towards developing his universal language and the reasoning calculus. The study discusses the
extent to which Leibniz’s project has been successfully implemented in the advancement of
artificial intelligence research and automated reasoning in computer science and mathematics,
respectively. It also evaluates the capability of Leibniz’s formalism in eliminating ambiguity, or
in more general terms, semantic indeterminacy. In addition to that, the study explores certain
linguistic models of ambiguity resolution which enable natural language users to use language
efficiently. And in light of which, the study concludes by indicating the limitations of Leibniz’s
characteristica universalis and calculus ratiocinator in natural discourse. The study also
highlights the significance of natural language, despite its complexities, in natural discourse
settings.National Manpower Development Secretaria
Modelling Secondary School stdudents' attitudes towards TVET subjects using social cognitive and planned behaviour theories
Get PDFTechnical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been a part of most developing African countries,
including Lesotho. Africa’s collapsing economies will receive a true economic bailout if they produce readily
employable and self-employed graduates. There are several factors that influence student attitudes toward TVET,
including the perceived influence of their families, the impact of society, and the impact of their schools. This
study aimed to examine the interrelationships and effects of these variables on attitudes toward TVET. Social
Cognitive Theory and Planned Behavior are the theoretical underpinnings of the study. Three hundred and six
students in the Mafeteng district were sampled for this quantitative study. IBM SPSS 28 and Smart PLS 4.0.7.2
were used to analyze the measurement and structural models based on the data collected through a question-
naire. The study found that perceived family influence and societal influence had a significant causal relation to
attitudes toward TVET but that the school does not provide enough support for students in TVET education,
which impedes their education level. Study findings provide insight into how Lesotho educational policymakers
and practitioners can promote TVET as a viable educational and career option by improving students’ attitudes
towards TVET subjects. For career guidance, learners were recommended to be taken to TVET colleges and
universitiesSel
FACTORS INFLUENCING SECONDARY SCHOOL LEARNERS’ CAREER CHOICES AT ONE TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN LESOTHO
Get PDFAmongst the least developed countries, Lesotho is one of the few that has been
highly praised for its expenditure on human capital development. The
proportion of Lesotho’s national budget allotted for education comparable to its
GDP is very high and it would be expected that the country has put mechanism
to channel these financial resources appropriately. The National Strategic
Development Plan (NSDP) II categorises careers that are a priority for the
Government in four segments: agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and creative
industries, and technology and innovation. The NSDP II also indicates that the
higher education sector should aim at shaping graduates for the labour market
demands. From the foregoing, it can be assumed that the country would mainly
sponsor the educational programmes that align with the national development
plan. Similarly, the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) emphasises
increase in the intake of Basotho students in technical-related careers in Higher
Education Institutions (HEI’s). Given the education-related expenditure that
Lesotho has proportionate to its GDP, and that every child who qualifies to do
a degree in the country and outside gets to be sponsored, it would be expected
that there are measures to provide career guidance to secondary school
learners to choose careers that fall within the priority needs of the government.
The current study was conceived at the backdrop of trying to examine the extent
to which learners at secondary school level are guided to choose careers that
fit their competence and skills, but also careers that are fit to the country’s
needs, or skills shortage. Underpinned by Krumboltz’s Social Learning Theory
of Career Decision-Making (SLTCDM), which highlights how individuals in
different levels of life make choices of educational programmes, careers, and
fields of work, the current study sought to explain how government, through the
Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) provides the relevant support for
learners to choose and to succeed in careers that are ear-marked for national
development.
The study adopted a qualitative research design and used focus group
discussions, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis to generate
data. The sample consisted of forty-two first-year and seven second-year
students, and seven first-year tutors. While recent studies do indicate that
v
secondary school learners join HEIs to pursue careers that are saturated and
therefore not addressing the skills gap in Lesotho, the current study found the
same trend. It has been established that the learners’ choice of programmes at
tertiary education level is informed by the lack of nationally planned strategies
to guide them on choosing careers compatible to both their abilities and the
national skills shortage. The Ministry of Education and Training has no career
guidance programme for secondary schools to guide learners’ career choices.
As a result, learners’ choices are influenced by a variety factors, such as people
around them, their experiences or the lack of exposure, as well as their
aggregate performance in the Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary
Education (LGCSE).
The study concludes that lack of career guidance in schools is likely to
negatively affect the goals that Lesotho sets for its national development and
grievously undermines the immense investment made annually on tertiary
education. There is a need to develop a career guidance policy to inform both
the career guidance services in schools and how government awards
scholarships at tertiary level. It is also recommended that career guidance
centres be established to support secondary schools guide learners in making
career choices that address skills shortfalls facing Lesotho, the region and the
world at large
Ensuring accountability and integrity of the police service through an effective oversight mechanism in Lesotho
Get PDFThe Lesotho Mounted Police Service is characterised by unremitting brutality where the majority
of people die in custody and get seriously injured without the perpetrators being brought to book
either criminally or disciplinarily. It is the purpose of this research to enquire into the
effectiveness of the Police Oversight Authority to curb the prevalence of human rights violations
within the LMPS and hold them legally accountable for their misconduct. The research analyses
the features of the efficient Independent Police Oversight mechanisms in other jurisdictions and
finds out how the issues pertaining to police misconduct are effectively handled. It also explores
the obligation imposed on the police management to report serious police conduct such as deaths
in police custody to the oversight body. Furthermore, it shows how police management is
mandated to implement the oversight recommendations on instituting disciplinary measures
against concerned police officers as well as assisting the oversight bodies with the information
that may be required for investigating police serious misconduct.
It has been established that the Police Oversight Authority is not effective enough to hold police
officers accountable for misdeeds and also to ensure that they perform their duties professionally.
PCA is not accessible to the public, has no follow-up mechanisms in place to ensure that its
recommendations have been implemented or complied with, does not publicise its report and as
such its defective performance cannot be scrutinised by anybody. In a nutshell, the study answers
the questions as to why there is a continuous violation of fundamental human rights and reigning
culture of impunity within the LMPS as well as what can be done to remit such recurrencNational Manpower Development Secretaria
The case of Ngope-Khubelu Poultry development at Ha Tsoeunyane
No full textThe majority of community development initiatives struggle tremendously along the way to
achieve their objectives despite their best efforts to empower communities. Poultry community
development initiatives which promote women's empowerment are also not an exception to this
problem. This failure is caused by a lack of advance planning for the project's operations. The
study had three objectives and investigated how community developments projects failed to
empower women. The study employed a qualitative methodology since it was more concerned in
the depth of the phenomenon under investigation rather than statistics. It was found that women
in the Ngope-Khubelu poultry community development project were not empowered as
expected. According to the findings, the project manager was ineffective. This was due to the
lack of a defined plan and feasibility analysis before a project could be completed to assure the
project's viability. The study concludes that poultry community development initiatives can
empower women when all the resources are available. The study therefore, recommends that
poultry community development programmes should be led by women who have the appropriate
abilities, in case they lack, training should be provided and rural women should also renounce
traditional practices as they are no longer binding nor supported by lawNational Manpower Development Secretaria
The case of Mateanong Community Council, Lesotho
Get PDFIssues related to rural inaccessibility, which include low levels of information flow and poor
economic performance, constitute some of the current global concerns that have prompted the
establishment of international agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Against this background, this study aims to assess the impact of rural-urban linkages on rural
economies, specifically road and communication networks and their economic implications on thelivelihoods of Mateanong community. The research is qualitative in nature and has used
interviews, open-ended questionnaires and focus group discussion as its main data collection
methods. The study unearths that provision of proper rural road and communication networks
enhances rural economic activities through increased market access, and also paves way for
inclusive development by bridging rural-urban disparities. The findings of this study further show
that lack of proper road and communication networks in Mateanong community council
perpetuates issues related to poor agricultural productivity, poverty and lack of access to essential
services prevailing in the area. This study concludes that rural-urban linkages promote the
economic livelihoods of rural residents through enhanced accessibility, mobility and information
flow. The study recommends that in order to promote rural livelihoods, the Government should
enhance better funding for rural road and communication networks, develop effective project
follow-up initiatives, and also prioritize performance-based tenderingNational Manpower Development Secretaria
The contribution of Ha Ramarothole solar plant project to the economic development of local communities
Get PDFResearch has shown that energy and development are two interdependent concepts. Globally
scholars have conducted studies where they studied the relationship between the renewable
energy use and the growth of the economy. It was found that renewable energy has a great
influence on economic development. Against this background, the research aims to assess the
contribution of renewable energy project in particular solar energy project in Haramarothole
to the local communities. The study used qualitative methodology in the form of case study
where in-depth interviews were used. The study established that the establishment of solar
project in Haramarothole has led to creation of jobs, infrastructure development and
establishment of income generating activities. The study concludes that, Haramarothole solar
plant project contributed to the economic development of the local communities through
various economic activities and this has boosted the economic development of local businesses
and also this has led to the local community being economically independent. The study
recommends that in order to improve or enhance the economy of local communities, local
communities should be encouraged to use solar energy as their source energy since it is cheap
and affordableNational Manpower Development Secretaria
The case of retail businesses in the Roma valley
Get PDFSmall businesses are regarded as tools for economic development in Lesotho. This is because small businesses aid in reducing the high levels of poverty in the country through offering people the means of income; as a result, they serve as a form of employment creation. However, many small-scale businesses are not performing very well due to the different factors such as financial mismanagement and poor research. In this case, the digital technologies are nowadays used by small business owners to increase the performance of their businesses. In addition to that, there are some factors that contribute to performance of small businesses such as the demographic characteristics of the entrepreneur. Therefore, this study investigated the role of digital technologies in the performance of small businesses in rural areas.
The findings of the study revealed that there are different factors that propel small business owners to adopt digital technologies such as marketing and production. Entrepreneurs use digital technologies for business registration, tax filling process, tax payment and many others. The performance of small retail businesses is also determined by the market. The findings showed that many retail businesses in the Roma Valley depend largely on university students; hence they are affected negatively when students are not around.National Manpower Development Secretaria
Factors influencing secondary learners career choices at one tertiary institution in Lesotho
No full textiv
ABSTRACT
Amongst the least developed countries, Lesotho is one of the few that has been
highly praised for its expenditure on human capital development. The
proportion of Lesotho’s national budget allotted for education comparable to its
GDP is very high and it would be expected that the country has put mechanism
to channel these financial resources appropriately. The National Strategic
Development Plan (NSDP) II categorises careers that are a priority for the
Government in four segments: agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and creative
industries, and technology and innovation. The NSDP II also indicates that the
higher education sector should aim at shaping graduates for the labour market
demands. From the foregoing, it can be assumed that the country would mainly
sponsor the educational programmes that align with the national development
plan. Similarly, the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) emphasises
increase in the intake of Basotho students in technical-related careers in Higher
Education Institutions (HEI’s). Given the education-related expenditure that
Lesotho has proportionate to its GDP, and that every child who qualifies to do
a degree in the country and outside gets to be sponsored, it would be expected
that there are measures to provide career guidance to secondary school
learners to choose careers that fall within the priority needs of the government.
The current study was conceived at the backdrop of trying to examine the extent
to which learners at secondary school level are guided to choose careers that
fit their competence and skills, but also careers that are fit to the country’s
needs, or skills shortage. Underpinned by Krumboltz’s Social Learning Theory
of Career Decision-Making (SLTCDM), which highlights how individuals in
different levels of life make choices of educational programmes, careers, and
fields of work, the current study sought to explain how government, through the
Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) provides the relevant support for
learners to choose and to succeed in careers that are ear-marked for national
development.
The study adopted a qualitative research design and used focus group
discussions, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis to generate
data. The sample consisted of forty-two first-year and seven second-year
students, and seven first-year tutors. While recent studies do indicate that
v
secondary school learners join HEIs to pursue careers that are saturated and
therefore not addressing the skills gap in Lesotho, the current study found the
same trend. It has been established that the learners’ choice of programmes at
tertiary education level is informed by the lack of nationally planned strategies
to guide them on choosing careers compatible to both their abilities and the
national skills shortage. The Ministry of Education and Training has no career
guidance programme for secondary schools to guide learners’ career choices.
As a result, learners’ choices are influenced by a variety factors, such as people
around them, their experiences or the lack of exposure, as well as their
aggregate performance in the Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary
Education (LGCSE).
The study concludes that lack of career guidance in schools is likely to
negatively affect the goals that Lesotho sets for its national development and
grievously undermines the immense investment made annually on tertiary
education. There is a need to develop a career guidance policy to inform both
the career guidance services in schools and how government awards
scholarships at tertiary level. It is also recommended that career guidance
centres be established to support secondary schools guide learners in making
career choices that address skills shortfalls facing Lesotho, the region and the
world at large.National Manpower Development Secretaria
The case of Makaung community in Mafeteng district
Get PDFWhile most studies focus on climate adaptation strategies, very little research exists on why
most strategies do not succeed hence the topic; climate change adaptation strategies and their
challenges in Lesotho: the case of Makaung community in Mafeteng district. The qualitative
research study is guided by the Action Theory and designed as a case study with the main goal
to explore why the residents in Makaung still struggle to get used to climate change yet there
were different adaptation strategies introduced in that area. The objectives of the study were;
(a) to examine the causes of climate change in Lesotho, (b) to assess how climate change has
affected the daily practices, (c) to investigate what strategies has Lesotho applied so far, (d) to
explore the challenges to adaptation and (e) to evaluate the legal framework that support
climate change adaptation…Only fifty (50) residents from the selected six villages through
purposive and quota sampling were interviewed. Through observation and credibility, it was
revealed that Makaung is a very dry area with no infrastructure at all which affects the
implementation of different climate change adaptation strategies introduced in the area.
However, all strategies significantly differed from those that were introduced in the past years.
The findings show that mitigation projects were introduced by the Lesotho government in
collaboration with development partners (IACOV, WFP, WAMPP and ReNOKA) as a means
to prevent soil erosion by building walls across the inside of dongas and planting trees and
grass in the veld but were destroyed by livestock and heavy rainfalls and extreme draughts.
The residents were also taught about climate change adaptation through public gatherings and
trainings, introduced key-hole gardening, food-for-work (fato-fato) and short cycled livestock
but few residents applied those strategies. Most of them complained about absence of water in
the area for irrigation and livestock as they already struggle with drinking water. There is also
lack of law enforcement to protect the projects. The recommendation is that the government
should formulate clear policies that guide the projects and enforce law on people who destroy
implemented projects. Before introducing the project, project managers have to learn more
about the geographical features and the culture of people in the area before implementation.National Manpower Development Secretaria