South Africa’s Education Minister says the best way to overcome 2020 academic disruption is through scrapping school holidays.
After much consideration, South Africa’s Education Minister, Angie Motshekya said the best way to revive the 2020 academic year was through scrapping school holidays. This proposal sent members of the education department contemplating. Especially since in the previous years, disruption of the school curricula resulted in increased dropouts and many cases of repeating.
We should embrace education for it is a key to success.
A good economy is built on successful and educated people. Learning plays a key role in our daily lives. Countries with successful citizens are known to thrive. Education sort of reduces dependency levels because individuals receive information. And as such can venture into different activities.
Ramaphosa declares closure of all schools and urges South Africans to adopt the precautionary measures.
The proposal to resume learning came after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared the closure of all schools. He ordered the closure of all schools in the country on Wednesday during Presidential briefing. This is weeks before he declared a national lockdown. He said it was a precaution to control coronavirus since it was spreading rampantly and had taken a toll in some countries.
Moreover, they confirmed that a student at Wits University in Johannesburg tested positive for the virus. As such, they reinstated quick measures. For instance, students who had contact with her were all in isolation.
Consequently, the President urged the South Africans to restrain from behaviors such as shaking of hands. He encouraged elbow greetings instead. However, with an extension of lockdown, the schools will remain closed for more than three weeks.
What did Elijah Mhlanga have to say about compensating for the 2020 academic year?
During a press briefing the spokesperson to the Minister for Education, Elijah Mhlanga said he was in support of the proposal. As much as they were in support of lockdown extensions, they were looking forward to reopening of schools.
He said that the department had deployed a team of experts who were working out possible plans for schools to resume immediately they lifted the lockdown. He is quite optimistic about the possibility of rescuing the academic year. The plan involved compensation for lost time.
He said there is a great possibility of rescuing the academic year. Since they were working on a plan to compensate for the lost time. Mhlanga said that part of their plan involved scrapping off school holidays to recover lost time. Also, once schools resumed, they planned to help students catch up on lost time.
He added that through their online television and radio educational programs, pupils were getting assistance amid the lockdown. For instance, the #covid19SA was educating and providing learning support from home.
The idea to resume studies in South Africa once the lockdown is over is a positive gesture. With proper guidance and taking the safety measures seriously, the country will defeat the virus.
More:
