Students return to campus

A third of students are back on campuses amid strict health and safety protocols

Amaximum of 33 percent of the student population will be allowed to return to campuses, delivery sites and residences under Alert Level three of government's risk-adjusted strategy aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande stressed that these students will only be allowed to return to campuses on condition that they can be safely accommodated and supported, in line with the health and safety protocols as directed by the department.

“The post school education and training (PSET) sector is committed to resume academic activities in line with the national risk-adjusted strategy. This includes putting remote learning systems in place as well as planning the gradual return to various campuses during various phases of the risk-adjusted strategy,” the minister said.

Categories of students to return

The returning students will include the following cohorts:

• All groups that returned during Alert Level four.

• Students in the final year of their programmes, who are on a path to graduating in 2020.

• Final-year students who require access to laboratories, technical equipment, data, connectivity and access to residence and private accommodation.

• Students in all years of study who require clinical training in their programmes (provided that the clinical training platforms have sufficient space and can accommodate them while adhering to the safety protocols).

• Post-graduate students who require laboratory equipment and other technical equipment to undertake their studies. In addition to the above, the minister said institutions may consider selected return of other categories of students to residences who may face extreme difficulties in their home learning environments, pro-

vided that the above categories are prioritised and all safety and logistical requirements are met.

This will only apply to institutions based in districts that will be moving to Level three, depending on the readiness and capacity of each institution.

All other students will be supported through remote multimodal teaching, learning and assessment until they can return to campus.

The minister noted that some institutions may identify other groups of students, in line with their particular contexts, who should return to campus. However, the minister said any deviation from the criteria must be approved by the department and must fall within the maximum of 33 percent of the student population.

The ministry will publish national directives on the broad parameters and conditions under which each institution must plan for the controlled resumption of all forms and levels of academic activity to complete the 2020 academic year.

The department is working closely with all education quality assurance bodies in South Africa to ensure that COVID-19 measures do not affect the quality of qualifications offered by PSET institutions.

While institutions' methodology of offering programmes has been affected, Minister Nzimande said the quality of qualifications has not been compromised.

Zero-rated educational sites for students

The minister also announced that educational content sites of public institutions of higher education and training have been zero-rated.

This will benefit students who have enrolled in public universities, technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges, community education and training colleges, agricultural and nursing colleges.

This means that access to institutional websites will be free, although some of the embedded content, like YouTube and videos, will be charged.

This new development is thanks to the collaboration between Higher Education, Science and Innovation; the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies; and electronic network providers, including the mobile network operators.

“This is a huge step forward and highlighted the effective collaboration between the department and the telecommunications sector. The next step is to make educational data bundles available to all National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) students in universities and TVET colleges,” the minister said.

The data bundles will be used to access additional content that is not covered under the zero-rating agreement.

The department has successfully negotiated with all mobile network operators for favourable rates for NSFAS students, including FunzaLushaka students who will receive 10GB day-time and 20GB night-time data for three months, until the end of August. This will be subsidised by government.

Digital devices

The department acknowledged that the cost of connectivity remains a huge barrier for students who want to use the digital learning mode as part of multimodal and remote learning. To further address this challenge, Minister Nzimande aims to supply an appropriate digital device, most likely a tablet, to NSFAS students registered at public institutions.

He said government is committed to ensure that all NSFAS students have access to an appropriate device to support their online learning and to ensure that no student is left behind.

“Some universities have already issued their students with laptops, some as part of their normal

policies, others as a response to COVID-19. A lot of work had to be undertaken to quantify the exact number and location of students who still need to be issued with devices.”

The minister added that work has been completed and procurement will commence as soon as the approval of the Minister of Finance is received.

The shift to include digital devices in the learning materials provided to NSFAS learners will promote technology-enabled pedagogy over the lockdown period and move South African education into the modern era, offering access to wider resources and teaching materials.

This will also be extended to TVET students. Giving them access to technology will improve their skills fit for a modern economy.

Minister Nzimande acknowledged that many students who fall within the so-called ‘missing middle' category and students in private institutions also need support in accessing data for their online learning. Unfortunately, he said, government is currently not in a position to subsidise them.

“We, however, appeal to mobile network operators to work with institutions to offer affordable packages to such students.”

An affordable higher education loan scheme involving the private sector is also being considered.

NSFAS and FunzaLushaka students must ensure they register their cellphone numbers with their respective institutions so that they can receive their free data.

“We advise that during this period, they must also not change their sim cards so as to enable network operators, through their institutions, to load data to their devices.

“I just want to emphasise that this data that needy students will receive must be used for dedicated online educational platforms for teaching and learning, as approved by institutions.”

The department has also made free digital content available, specifically to TVET college students, through its website, the National Open Learning System, institutional websites and other sites. Students will be able to access digital materials which will help them prepare for exams.

Universities will also be delivering paper-based teaching and learning materials to students who do not have the resources to engage electronically or online.