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Face to Face, but not In Person: Schooling continues amidst the Pandemic
There will be long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has had a lasting impact on many spheres of. There have been drastic changes to education and learning in the last six months. Globally, school children have had to get online to continue their studies. Read on to see how several Johannesburg schools have ridden the storm.
With the switch to online learning, much learning can be continued. Students have continued with their education. This is even as physical movement across the globe has been curtailed. Wherever the learner might be, they can log in and keep up to date with their lessons.
Schools Adopting Online Learning in South Africa
In South Africa we had many schools move to online platforms. Being able to provide education to learners digitally has been an amazing saving grace for many students. Across the land, even in amidst of the global pandemic, many pupils have been able to continue with their school year.
Thanks to the various options now available, much of the teaching can continue face to face. Classes are not gathering in person. They are signing in on platforms that accommodate remote groups meetings.
Public Schools in Johannesburg Adopting Digital Platforms
Various government schools have adopted the use of Zoom, Whatsapp and Google Classroom to continue teaching during the lockdown. Greenside High School saw many teachers making use of these platforms.
These aren’t the only options. Holy Family College in Parktown saw digital packs being sent to students using email.
Parktown Boys and Girls both ensured that their students continued to receive teaching over this time.
Johannesburg Private Schools Embracing Online Learning
It hasn’t only been public schools who have gone digital. For example, St Stithians in Randburg has had online learning programs during the lockdown. It will implement a blended-learning approach as schools begin to reopen. The digital learning will carry on as children are allowed back to schools over the next few months.
Curro schools have launched an online option in this time. It will continue indefinitely, even as Covid-19 subsides.
Japari School in Rosebank is making use of Class Dojo App. It can assist their students at whatever level they are at. Andrews Academy in Windsor Glen has moved all its classes online since the extension of the lockdown.
The Ridge School in Westcliff has focused on Whatsapp phone calls to bridge the gap of teaching in person.
St John’s College and Pridwin Preparatory School are two other private schools that have ensured their children continue to learn in these uncertain times. There are many others.
Challenges to digital learning
It is great that these schools are able to provide these facilities for their learners. It is wonderful that the students themselves have access to the Internet. This means that they can continue with their education wherever they might be.
There are of course some challenges. Many students lack motivation to effectively work from home. For many of the children, it feels as if they are on holiday, rather than in school.
There are also psychological difficulties associated with digital education. Getting the work-rest balance right can be hard. It can be easy to get distracted. The very platform that is trying to be used for learning is often also used for Netflix and other streaming services and entertainment.
Many South African Schools are unable to make the digital move
Many of the above challenges are amplifications of usual hindrances to learning. Most can be managed with a little guidance and input from parents. Many students themselves have risen to the challenge.
But for many South Africans, digital learning is simply not a viable option. They face high data costs and bad coverage leading to poor reception. This means they cannot access the content that allows more affluent learners to continue unabated with their learning.
Parktown Boys made every effort to ensure that its pupils had access to data. For those who lacked hardware, data or access, they offered particular support.
But many schools across the country were struggling to get textbooks. They lacked basic infrastructure even before the effects of Coronavirus. For these learners getting back to school safely should be an absolute priority. They simply cannot take advantage of the technology that would allow them to be distance learners.
Schooling in the near and far future
In general, in-person teaching has been shown to be more effective than digital learning. But throughout the world, there were suddenly about 300 million children being home-schooled. There has been a surge in home-schooling inquiries in South Africa. This was already growing in popularity. But the pandemic has certainly made more people than ever before consider it. How many will continue after school reopen remains to be seen.
South Africa needs to see schools reopen as soon as possible, for the vast majority of our children. This needs to be done safely. But the demographic least likely to find the Coronavirus fatal are children. They are also least likely to contract the virus, at all.
Teachers are obviously higher risk, and they are reluctant to return.
Let us all hope that the Corona Pandemic passes soon. Until then, sadly, the poorest learners will fall behind. Those who can afford it will continue online.
Bibliography and further reading:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/
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