Not since the Soccer World Cup in 2010 have South Africans shown such a spirit of unity in pursuing
one goal.
This time around, however, the ball game has changed. The primary goal now is survival from an unseen, but deadly enemy.
In the face of an enemy so lethal that it has already targeted millions and wiped out hundreds of
thousands, we have no choice but to lock down and hide.
Many new lessons will be learnt from the Covid-19 crisis and it certainly won’t be ‘business as usual’.
The impact of the national lockdown upon the approximately 10 million or so school pupils will be significant and be felt for years afterwards.
The lockdown came at short notice, but nonetheless the Department of Education managed to get out some online lessons and material. Some schools are supplementing this.
But online material will not benefit all socio-economic groups equally.
A minority group of pupils with smart technology and related skills, knowledgeable parental support, good time management and adequate space, will have a reasonable chance of coming out of this tunnel, having made up lost time in at least some of the subjects.
But this will not be the case for the majority whose families’ daily struggles are focused on the basic
needs for survival – food, water, sanitation, safety and shelter.
They can’t afford smart technology and don’t live in an environment conducive to learning.
Upon the reopening of schools, both groups will return with stress and anxiety about the pressures that await, but the latter group’s state of fear, bewilderment and despair will be much greater.
These are not normal times. Matric pupils in both groups referred to above were telephonically interviewed and their responses were remarkably similar – not being able to use the lockdown time to adequately catch up with lessons; a great fear of going back to school and possibly becoming infected with the coronavirus; concern about material being ‘crammed’ to cover the syllabus; and a hope that the final 2020 matric examinations will be postponed to link up with the 2021 supplementary examinations.
It will be incumbent upon the national and provincial education departments to rise to the occasion
and realise that our matric class of 2020 will now be more vulnerable than ever before.
Fastidious measures to ensure the health and safety of learners upon the reopening of schools is a
must.
The cramming of information into already troubled heads to simply tick off curriculum boxes
will have to give way to more insightful learning theory.
A greater measure of understanding and compassion in these times will do a world of good.
Given the unpredictability of the Covid-19’s spread in the days to come, coupled with pupils’
concerns, the education department would do well to consider readjusting the matric examination
time frames.
There must be an ‘all hands on deck’ approach, assembling a task team of psychologists, therapists
and other relevant professionals to support our pupils, not only regarding factual knowledge, but
especially relating to mental health issues.
High levels of anxiety and depression are potential killers.
Very serious consideration has to be given to conduct trauma counselling for every group of pupils in each school before formal academic work resumes.
Teachers, frequently caught between bureaucratic pressure and parents’ sometimes unreasonable demands, will also need support to cope with the new demands.
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