With more grades returning to school in coming weeks, in line with South Africa’s phased back-to-school approach, parents and guardians should keep the lines of communication open through frank conversations and feedback, an education expert says.
As the lockdown curtain slowly begins to rise, endless thoughts and emotions engulf our minds. There is an overwhelming urge to return to life as we know it, coupled with the uncertainty and disappointment in our minds regarding the rhetorical question, ‘Is this how it’s always going to be from now on?’ ‘For how long will we continue having to wear masks?’ ‘When will social distancing end?’ There is an overwhelming need to feel the certainty of safety, from that which we cannot see and cannot feel. The terms Covid 19 and Corona virus seems to remain on our minds all the time as we all try to create a life as normal as abnormally possible for ourselves and our children under extremely abnormal circumstances. Some have already begun re-exploring the outdoors; malls are starting to fill up once again. Although it can be understood that being under lockdown has affected all of us in so many ways. This includes having a natural need to enjoy the outdoors and start doing ‘normal’ activities of daily living once again which excludes being at home. With the South African regulations of level 3 of lockdown settling in, there seems to be a slight sense of excitement yet an undertone of fear and loss. This is coupled with a stronger sense of understanding and acceptance of the notion and magnitude of the fact that we are living within a pandemic. Is this advisable though to start going out again? Whilst the need for nature’s best source of vitamin D is long overdue for all of us, it still is not safe for us to go out to public spaces where we are among so many people gathering. Social distancing and physical distancing will still be a compulsory requirement for months to come. Regardless of whether others are doing it or not, hospital wards are filling up, infection rates continue to be on the rise and more and more deaths are being reported daily. We live in an era of self-gratification, where we want what we want and we make sure that we get it. Now that we do not have control, it is so important that we do not let our feelings of frustration and helplessness result in us losing sight of the bigger picture, which is that we have to continue to practice short term sacrifices for our very own long term benefit. New Zealand has managed to combat the virus by maintaining adequate social distancing and isolation. If they can do it, so can we South Africa! This needs to be regarded for ourselves and especially for the sake of our most vulnerable ones, namely our elderly and our children especially as we prepare them for the next phase, school reintegration. Some schools have recently begun with the phasing in of children getting back to school for the first time since lockdown, much to the dismay of parents. Although studies in China and Russia have shown that children are at low risk of fatalities of this disease. How do we know that our kids will be safe and will not contract the virus? The sad reality is that we do not know. Therefore we can only ensure that we maintain the regulations of social distancing and required precautions so that we are able to enjoy a meaningful quality of life with our children as well as our parents and grandparents long term, as opposed to short term gains and possibly not being around long enough to live a fulfilling life due to a virus. So how do we protect our kids who will have to go to school? Here are a few tips I have put together to enable as far as possible comfort and safety for our children: Begin with the mental state of mind: It is vital to ensure that one’s children remain calm and collected. This can only be achieved by parents remaining calm, despite how difficult this may be. Ensure that children are able to express their fears and emotions about returning to school and be there to comfort them Knowledge is power: Parents have to ensure that children are adequately informed and educated regarding the necessary precautionary measures to help them feel in control and more at ease regarding being at school. These measures include the constant wearing of masks, not touching their faces, constantly sanitising and maintaining a constant 1.8 metre distance between them and other children. A good suggestion is taking double precaution with a regular mask as well as a shield mask, as children can easily forget not to touch their face and that is where the shield mask being worn over the regular mouth and nose mask comes in handy. It is also important to remember that the Covid19 virus is also spread through touching the eyes, nose and mouth with a contaminated hand as well as should saliva droplets simply through conversation enter the eyes. Hence enabling your child to wear the face shield is important. If possible, single seated desks are extremely important to enable distancing between children. If not possible, then it is imperative where possible that partitioning be placed between children in double desk seating. Ensure that your child has a pocket sized sanitizer with them to ensure that they are constantly sanitising themselves. Limit the handling of money for your children by ensuring that you have packed adequate lunch and healthy snacks for your children in their lunch bags. It is important to remember that should you or your child touch a surface which has been previously been handled by a virus carrier or even sneezed upon by a virus carrier, it can result in you or them contracting the virus. If your child or a member of your family has tested Covid19 positive, please ensure that they remain at home in isolation for at least 2 full weeks or more. Try to arrange with teachers for work to be typed and handed in online, thereby
Schools across South Africa opened on June 1 in a phased approach, starting with grades 12 and 7. However, strict social distancing measures will prevent most sporting and cultural extracurricular activities from taking place, and some parents may decide to keep their children at home altogether. Students who have set their sights on top universities, both locally and overseas, must demonstrate innovation in order to stand out and build impressive application portfolios.
For the majority or learners, Matric is the most challenging year of their school careers – even under normal circumstances. The current circumstances facing the Class of 2020 are unprecedented, and have caused massive upheaval and uncertainty on top of the challenges they would ordinarily have faced. Even so, there are ways learners can adjust and respond to ensure they still make a success of the year, an education expert says.
The temptation to do it all as if it is possible to maintain the pace and volume of contact education remotely must be resisted, an education expert says.
Under normal circumstances, Matric mid-year exams provide a valuable benchmark from which to launch the final push towards the finals. Because of the Covid-19 lockdown, there will be no official mid-year exams this year, but learners should still aim to re-create their own exam experience at home as this provides valuable practise and insights, and an opportunity to improve their performance later this year, an education expert says.
South African families are going through tremendously challenging times as most continue to stay at home during the country’s extended lockdown. While it is not yet clear when schools will start to re-open, thousands upon thousands of learners are working hard to stay on top of their educational journeys, while those parents who can do so are still working from home. External pressures combined with fear and anxiety about the future are taking their toll on parents who are, at the same time, tasked with ensuring their children don’t fall behind. These, and other factors, are exacting an undeniable emotional toll in homes during this time, an educational expert says.
The incentive for learning any additional language is distinctive to every household. However, in the South African context, given the vast social, cultural, historical and practical benefits, isiZulu is a great language to choose and learning it has many advantages and benefits.
Navigating through uncharted waters during this stressful time is very overwhelming for many of us and leads to anxiety and sleeplessness. Keep in mind that this is new territory for teachers, parents and our children. Find peace in knowing that we are all in the same boat. Steer your ship into calmness when there is a storm and choose the rules of your ship together as a family.
As we start our online learning journey, there are so many things to consider. Schools are social environments and as such function on the interaction between all the role-players, the pupils, parents and the staff. This has been disrupted, so we are working hard at ensuring that everyone remains positive and embraces whatever may come our way.
“Looking at the year from the vantage point of January, Matric finals seem a long way down the road, and eight months feels like ample time to get to grips with your work before you have to sit for your finals,” says Natasha Madhav, Senior Head of Programme: Faculty of ICT at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest private higher education provider.
With all eyes directed at 2020’s first-year students as they start their journeys at various tertiary and higher education institutions across South Africa, it is also important to remember those tens of thousands of students who are starting out on a learning journey of another kind — studying from home via distance learning, an education expert says.
The human baby is born with an innate curiosity and a seemingly insatiable need to learn. Toddlers and young children seem to find anything and everything interesting and they never run out of questions! Why is that…? How does…? Where is the…? What is…..? They are also determined to ‘do- it-by-myself!’ In fact, they insist on it!
With an automated future ahead of us, the workplace will require a different way of thinking with an emphasis on problem solving, through mathematics as a vehicle, we can cultivate this skill in children from an early age.
With South Africa’s Matric pass rate at an historical high, many thousands of learners are in the unexpectedly happy position of having received a Bachelor’s pass, and therefore qualifying for further study. Those who didn’t make provision for this eventuality, may now find themselves in a situation where they no longer need to settle for their Plan B, but can in fact go for Plan A – realising their dreams of pursuing a degree – but with no place at university yet.
Holidays are like cats! They creep into your lap for a cuddle and just when you start feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, they jet off to some unknown place, leaving you feeling disappointed and perhaps a little cold! Is this not true of these school holidays? They crept in, had a cuddle and left – just like that!
While school violence is prevalent and widespread, schools are also being targeted by criminals for electronic devices such as computers and IT equipment.
Although the focus is firmly on the Matric Class of 2019 currently writing their NSC exams, their successors in Grade 11 are also now heading to exam rooms across the nation, and they should not underestimate the importance of these assessments, an education expert says. “The last two years of school should not be viewed in isolation. Rather, Grade 11 should be approached as the foundation upon which Matric success is built,” says Peter Kriel, General Manager at The Independent Institute of Education, SA’s largest and most accredited private higher education provider. “So any idea that your performance in Grade 11 doesn’t count, and that you can chill and make up for it next year, should be discarded,” he says. “Apart from the obvious benefit of doing well in these exams, it should be kept in mind that these marks can be submitted to gain provisional access to public universities or private higher education institutions, which means you can get in the gates before the flood of applications come streaming in next year,” he says. Kriel says although the thought of getting the exams over with and then taking a well-deserved break in December will no doubt be appealing to Grade 11s at this stage, there are 3 things they can take care of during the next 3 months which will see them start their final year of school with a distinct advantage over their peers, and with optimal chances of ending Matric on a successful note. 1) DO AS WELL AS POSSIBLE IN YOUR EXAMS “As mentioned before, your Grade 11 results can be used to gain provisional access to university,” he says, “which means that your performance could mean the difference between having a wide range vs a restricted range of options. “But more than that, if you put in your best effort now, and invest in getting to grips with the study methods that work for you while ditching those which do not, you’ll start to get a good idea of your current capability. If you find that, despite your best efforts, you don’t do well, you’ll know that something needs to be tweaked or adjusted going forward. “However not putting in your best effort, means that you will enter your Matric year not understanding your potential, so the lessons you could have learned during these exams will have to be learnt during your final year at school, when you could have directed your focus to something more productive.” 2) REVIEW YOUR RESULTS & STRATEGISE Kriel says the next step, after the exams are done and the results are in, is to honestly assess your situation. “Did you do your best? Could you have worked harder? Could you have worked smarter? Are there subjects that you know are going to need extra attention, or even extra resources in the form of, for instance, tutors or supplementary materials? “The key here is to look at how you performed, and your experience writing these important exams, and then use that information to plan your final year. Sometimes, if you identify serious red flags, it may even be necessary to consider your subject choices. But keep in mind thatonly one subject can be changed in Grade 12, and it must be done within a few weeks of school opening.” 3) SORT OUT THE UNIVERSITY ADMIN Too often, the decision about what to study and where is left until way too late, because it seems like such a straightforward thing to decide and apply, says Kriel. “Nothing could be further from the truth, however. Choices about qualification and institution are major ones, which will have a substantial impact on your life after school, and your future prospects. “These are not decisions that can be left until June next year, and then you wake up and start to scramble to secure a place somewhere, anywhere. That is an ineffective approach and a potentially costly life and financial mistake, not to mention the fact that you simply won’t have the time or energy to do the groundwork next year,” he says. Grade 11 learners should therefore take a week or so timeout to rest after their exams, but then get to planning their post-school life. “The benefit of doing it now, during your holidays before you enter Grade 12, is that time is on your side. So you will be able to do extensive research about the job market and opportunities in the field or fields that interest you. You’ll be able to visit campuses and speak to career counsellors, you’ll also likely find careers and qualifications you’ve never even heard about. “Doing proper research now means you’ll be able to make an informed choice about your future, and, should you come to a decision, you’ll be able to get the extensive and exhaustive admin of the application process out of the way. Then on to Matric where you will start out on your strongest foot, and without the mountain of planning and additional stress that will be waiting for those who decided they’ll cross these bridges when they get there next year.”
Many learners place very little emphasis on studying for a language exam – after all, we use language every day so how difficult can an exam be, right? Wrong!
Education in any realm is important for changing oneself as well as the community in which we live. Education is the only way that people can build the knowledge to affect any change. I am not merely referring to the learning of facts and theorems but more critically, learning how to effectively question, explore and think about issues, change one’s mind (and the minds of others), innovate and create.
As any parent knows, when it comes to affording quality education for our children, we need all the help we can get. Escalating school fees, continual costs of uniforms and many extras make educating our children a significant, long-term family expense. Quality education features high on the UN’s list of 17 sustainable development goals, and South Africa is a signatory to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which recognises the vital role that education plays in improving lives.
The study of the Life Sciences gives important insight into disease processes and allows the development of novel therapeutic and innovative medical devices, thereby directly improving human health. Life Sciences also enables an understanding of the environment and the other living species with which we share the earth. This knowledge guides conservation efforts and helps us to save our shared planet.
Choosing Engineering Graphics and Design as a subject for Grade 10 provides fundamental knowledge and drawing skills required for several career opportunities, namely architecture, engineering, medical technician, industrial designer, interior designer, city planner, graphic illustrator and artisan.
If you’re a people’s person and thrive in environments that are geared towards customer satisfaction, then choosing hospitality studies in high school is great opportunity to consider various career paths in the entertainment, recreation, food service and hotel management industries.
Music has been made and enjoyed throughout history, it is a powerful and effective way to spread a message, tell a story or express your feelings.
Visual Arts at high school level offers a multi-disciplinary programme that trains the hand and the eye, while engaging the intellect and the imagination in conceptualising and creating two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks. This subject is about self-expression and helps students to engage meaningfully with, and respond to, their world in a non-verbal way. Students come into the art lessons often with a sense of relief, where they can be themselves, talk about all sorts of things and feel safe to do so.
History helps one understand the world by examining the struggles, failures and successes of our predecessors. Through this we learn how to examine ourselves and improve the world we live in. Studying History, equips us with all the qualities we require in a modern society: understanding, compassion & tolerance.
Many of South Africa’s Matric learners are approaching their looming final examinations filled with dread and anxiety, in anticipation that they won’t do very well or, even worse, fail the most important assessment in their academic life so far.
The moment of truth has arrived for this year’s Grade 12s. With fewer than 100 days until the start of their final examinations, the Class of 2019 now has to pull out all the stops to ensure they achieve to their full potential, as their final results will play a decisive role in the options open to them in years to come.
Matric learners all over South Africa have the finish line in sight as the race to complete their schooling career nears its end. Cindy Glass, Director and Co-founder of Step Up Education Centres explains “There is no doubt that the upcoming Trial and Final exams can be a source of anxiety and stress for most, if not all, Grade 12 learners-and their parents! The task ahead can feel overwhelmingly challenging and the resulting fear-of-failure can and, too-often, does become counter-productive in the learning process.”
