Children from a rural school in South Africa's Limpopo province have been making friends and debating global issues with their overseas peers - most recently with children from the Australian outback - via an internet link-up organised by one of their teachers.

Announcing a matric pass rate of 65.2% for 2007 - down 1.4% on 2006 - Education Minister Naledi Pandor said that South Africa had to work on improving the quality of teaching across all grades in the country.

South Africa plans to increase the number of tertiary institutions in the country in a bid to ensure that 20% of people aged between 18 and 25 are enrolled in the higher education system by 2015.

The Zenex Foundation has entered into a R10-million partnership with the Department of Education's Dinaledi programme. The partnership aims to tackle the English language deficiencies that are affecting the performance of teachers and students in maths and science.

The Dinaledi schools project aimed at increasing access to maths and science at higher-grade level in underprivileged schools has contributed to a steady increase in the pass rate in those subjects, says the Department of Education.