By Humairaa Mayet
Schools have been closed for five weeks and South Africa is heading into the second phase of the nationwide lockdown. Although online learning is off to a smooth start in the middle and upper classes of society, a multitude of problems will be encountered by all, not only the poor and working strata.
Online classes differ significantly from face-to-face classes as many children lack the required resources, and e-learning is far less interactive and stimulating, as well as difficult to schedule.
Shakira Akabor, a Ph.D. candidate in Inclusive Education at the Wits School of Education spoke to Salaamedia’s Azhar Vadi about the challenges school-going children are likely to face during and post lockdown.
“Schools are never going to be the same again,” said Akabor on The Alternative View. Although no concrete resolutions have been put into place, the Minister of Education is considering cancelling school holidays and extending the school week to include Saturdays.
Inequality plagues South African society, and this means that many will not be able to access online resources and participate in e-learning ventures. As an alternative, Akabor suggested the use of television channels to stream lessons, specifically STEM subjects and languages.
Even though many schools have begun to implement online learning, true assessments and standardised tests cannot take place, she explained. Once school resumes it is likely that many difficulties will be encountered in this regard.
No comments have been made by the Ministry of Education regarding school feeding schemes, although food packs are being delivered to poverty-stricken areas by the Department of Social Development, according to Akabor.
“Is it time for a fundamental change in the trajectory of South Africa’s education? While it is still too early to say, it is clear that educational technology is on the rise around the world.”
Akabor indicated that in India a free education app has reached as many as 8 million children during the lockdown, and many other countries have come up with similar measures.
While it is unclear exactly what will happen during and post lockdown, Akabor claimed that “we have to relook at what we think of as education”.
Undoubtedly, numerous challenges will be faced when children return to school, one of the most significant being the academic and emotional wellbeing of children.
Listen to the full discussion here:
Featured image via FreePik.
