[imagesource:here]

It’s almost back to school time for South African students, with updated return dates and school plans published by the Department of Basic Education.

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga confirmed yesterday that schools will open again on July 26, reports BusinessTech, for all learners (Grades R to 12).

The return of students will be on a daily or weekly rotational timetable model.

To prepare, the principal, school management team, and non-teaching staff will return to school on July 22.

While there are no prescribe opening dates for private or independent schools, they are also expected to stay closed until July 26.

However, from August 2, Motshekga said that primary schools (learners in Grades R to 7, and including schools for learners with special education needs) are expected to return to the traditional and daily attendance timetabling model.

This decision is an attempt to address the concerns around a “lost generation” of properly educated South African youngsters due to COVID-19’s impact.

Data from the latest National Income Dynamics Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) shows these worrying projections:

Between March 2020 and June 2021, most primary school learners in South Africa have lost 70%-100% (i.e. a full year) of learning relative to the 2019 cohort.

In total, 93 days of schooling have occurred between 15 February 2021 and 30 June 2021, the researchers said.

Assuming contact learning for 50% of this time, best estimates suggest that most primary school children have lost between 70% to a full year of learning since March 2020.

There’s also the additional effects of ‘forgetting’ or regression, and not totally mastering a previous year’s curriculum, all adding to the cumulative learning losses over the past year or two.

Thankfully, though, vaccinations are well underway in South Africa, and are now open to those 35 and older.

With many of the country’s teaching staff vaccinated already, it’s hoped that schooling will return to business as usual soon enough.

[source:businesstech]