THE provisional date for learners to return to school during the nationwide lockdown has been scheduled for June 1. This is for Grades 7 and 12 learners only.
Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, made the announcement during a press briefing last week. Prior to the minister’s address, a virtual presentation of the Basic Education Sector Plan to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education was held.
During this presentation, the provisional date for the reopening of schools was scheduled for today for Grades 7 and 12, but after unions and parents expressed their concerns about the readiness of schools with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic, the date was revised.
Motshekga added that the sector would open on May 4, school management teams are to return to school on May 11 and teachers on May 18 to get everything ready for the two grades to return at the beginning of June.
Motshekga emphasised that these dates are subject to change as learners cannot be sent back to school if the schools do not comply with health and safety regulations.
“All our plans will have to be approved by the Department of Health. It is also important that parents remember all the learners will not be going back to school at once.
“The different grades will be phased back into the schooling system. Those dates will be communicated once we have looked at all the information,” she explained.
According to the director-general for the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Hubert Mathanzima Mweli, the school calendar has been amended and will end on December 9, five days later than the initial date of December 4.
“The lost school days will be recovered by shortening the June holidays to five days and the September holidays to a long weekend,” Mweli said.
He added that certain strict measures needed to be adhered to in order for teaching and learning to take place within a safe environment. Therefore, screening of learners and educators would take place when schools reopen and anyone showing signs of raised temperatures would be considered for isolation and testing.
Other measures include maintaining social distances in classes by having not more than two learners sharing a desk.
Hugging or any other form of direct contact should be avoided and cloth masks were to be worn by learners and teachers at all times.
Mweli also emphasised that mass public events such as sports matches and choir practices, were prohibited. Additional classes should also be arranged in small groups.
He explained that classrooms would be sanitised on a daily basis before lessons start as set out by the guidelines that would be provided to each school by the DBE.
“Hands need to be sanitised before entering the classroom; learner movement between classes restricted and there should be no clustering of desks. The DBE will also work alongside the Department of Transport to ensure that buses are sanitised prior to transporting learners and hands sanitised before they get on the bus. Distance between learners should be maintained inside the bus and it will be compulsory for all to wear masks throughout the school day, commencing before boarding their transport.”
Mweli also mentioned that a total of 3 475 schools require assistance with emergency water supplies.
“The Department of Water and Sanitation has subsequently initiated an emergency water supply programme to install water tanks at critical points and having trucks deliver water to these tanks. The DBE will participate in this initiative to get water tanks installed at the identified schools and potable water delivered to the tanks.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande, said that no campus-based activities would be taking place during level four of the nationwide lockdown.
Only final year clinical students were to return to campus under strict safety measures.
Remote learning would take place after a date has been set for students to return to universities and colleges.
“We need to save the academic year, but not at the expense of people’s lives,” Nzimande said.
The following provides a breakdown of the DBE’s provisional plan regarding the school curriculum and exams:
How will Covid-19 affect the Grade 12 exams?
- Grade 12 learners will be expected to write the set fully fledged exams, based on covering the entire curriculum and other grades will be given a reworked curriculum.
- The May/June exams for the Grade 12 National Senior Certificate will be combined with the October/November exams and rescheduled for November/December 2020.
- Marking of exam scripts will run up until the end of December 2020, which means that moderation, standardisation and release of the results will be moved to mid/end of January 2021.
- School-based assessment (SBA), will have to be calculated minus the May/June exams.
- The November/December examination timetable will have to be amended accordingly.
What are the implications on the curriculum?
- There will be curriculum reorganisation and trimming for all grades except Grade 12.
- Annual teaching plans are to be amended for each grade and subject.
- Fundamental skills and concepts for each grade will be retained.
- Content in life orientation/skills will be rearranged to address personal hygiene, self-study skills, and emotional and psychological trauma.
- Every lesson will contribute five minutes to teaching awareness about Covid-19.
