Let’s pay tribute to front-line workers

AS WE MEMORIALISE a year since the world came to know about the novel coronavirus, I would like to commend all those individuals who continue to lead the fight against Covid-19, and I pay tribute to those who succumbed to the virus. I also extend my heartfelt condolences to families that have lost loved ones.

While the contagion surfaced in China, the mysterious respiratory disease became a global pandemic affecting and disrupting the daily lives of millions of human beings.

Although the recovery rate is high and we are in lockdown level 1, we cannot let our guard down.

South Africans must be mindful of the virus at all times and continue with Covid-19 safety procedures such as wearing of masks in public, regularly washing or sanitising hands and to practise social distancing, among other precautionary measures.

Moreover, as a teacher, I would also like to commend my colleagues across the globe for their resilience. Most teachers mainly trained in traditional or conventional teaching methods, revisited the curriculum or syllabus, embraced new teaching styles and pedagogics such as remote teaching, blended teaching or online teaching, and bravely rode the wave in unmapped waters to connect, nurture and teach learners.

Like the front-line workers, the current troubles that came along with the Covid-19 lockdown are like no other that teachers have experienced in recent history.