Battle to save school year

Education Department hopes to optimise remaining time and avoid more closures

THE Department of Basic Education (DBE) is hoping that the closing of schools due to the Covid-9 pandemic can be avoided in the event of a second wave of the virus.

Briefing Parliament’s basic education portfolio committee yesterday, department head Mathanzima Mweli noted that they were still not out of the woods after the country moved to alert level two.

“There could be a second wave. We are preparing for the wave,” Mweli said.

In some countries, schools stayed open during the Covid-19 outbreak, he said .

“Going forward we must avoid closing and do so only when it is necessary. When infections are high, we can close,” he said.

Mweli said there were now reliable studies on the virus, and that the situation was unlike when there was a push to close schools regardless.

“There is now appreciation of science and some knowledge of the virus,” he said.

Basic Education Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule acknowledged that the pandemic was causing anxiety and stress.

“We believe that as time goes on, we will be able to address the problems,” she said.

Mweli said 10 million out of 13 million pupils had reported for school on Monday following the fourweek break.

He said provinces had guaranteed in meetings last week that no schools would fail to reopen because of water or sanitation challenges, and that monitoring was under way.

MPs heard that there were 16 weeks remaining in the academic calendar.

There will be a school-based assessment for grades R to 11 and schools will close on December 15.

Matrics will start examinations from November 5 until December 15, with the results to be released on February 22.

Head of planning and delivery oversight, Simone Geyer, said: “We try to manage the process so that the 2020 academic year does not interfere with 2021.”

She said the council of education ministers has recommended schools reopen on January 25.

Mamiki Maboya, of the department’s curriculum policy support and monitoring unit, said the department had prioritised Grade 11 pupils when it identified competencies to be covered during the remainder of the academic year.

A report tabled before the committee said final promotion of Grade 11 pupils would be replaced with a formal final class test.

“Common tests on examinations, even at a district level, should be discouraged.”

Maboya also said the final class test could be limited to elective subjects, and examinations conducted only in fundamental subjects, namely mathematics or mathematical literacy, language of learning and teaching, and home language.