School closures and the online learning curve
IT’S been nearly a year since South Africa first went into lockdown.
Among the hard lockdown restrictions announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa was the closure of all public schools, as the country faced a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Schools and tertiary institutions were forced to move to online learning, as uncertainty and concern grew around when learners would return to the classroom.
Today we look back at the challenges faced by parents, teachers and learners and speak to teachers, parents and learners about the challenges they faced during the shutdown of schools, reflecting on the turbulent past year.
TEACHERS:
Yasira Saley – Emmarentia Primary School (taught at a different school during lockdown)
It gives me goosebumps to think how far we’ve come. I remember feeling so anxious as we were about to go into unknown territory. How would our learners cope? Would they get the support they need from home? Would it be effective? How would we give them the best education possible while not being at school? How much work would we be missing out on? Would our learners be safe?
