Education: the responsibility shifts to parents

ON APRIL 17, South Africans will hopefully have learnt if the countrywide lockdown will have been lifted or extended. For South African teachers, learners and their parents, the date will also provide some clarity on when the school calendar will resume.

So much time has been lost for our country’s primary and high school learners – particularly the matrics – it makes one wonder if Covid-19 will have a drastically negative bearing on the National Senior Certificate exams at the end of the year, and the results at the beginning of 2021.

This comes as Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga ironically welcomed the historic 81.3% pass rate in January by last year’s cohort of matrics. It seems this epic feat might just become a distant memory as every sector seeks to repair rather than build after the coronavirus pandemic.

Experts will also tell you that an excellent educational foundation is imperative for any child to succeed in life. This is why it is heartbreaking to see the devastating results that inequality in South Africa brings about.

The Department of Basic Education has been consistent in its call for learners to be homeschooled, and to learn and catch up on their school work throughout the 21-day lockdown.

Officials have suggested that parents download apps for their children and log into educational sites.

The reality for many South Africans is that many households simply cannot afford data, while many have no access to the internet. The emergence of this virus has exposed the disparities that hamstring so many impoverished communities.

It is not yet known when the world will get a vaccine to fight the Covid-19 pandemic or when fatalities will end.

What is, however, clear is that postCovid-19 the government, politicians and civil society as a collective have to band together to come up with innovative ways on how technology can be used to advance basic education in this country, if ever such a debilitating crisis should emerge in the future.

Even now, parents cannot afford to leave their children’s future in the hands of the government. Where there is no technology, internet or data, parents still need to find ways to assist their children wherever they can.

Many of us should use this time of reflection to consider how best we can aid our children to obtain a better education, so that they can positively shape the future of South Africa.