Ramaphosa says regaining learning time lost to the coronavirus pandemic will be a priority this year, but does not specify how
The scenes from last year, when learners finally returned to school after the hard lockdown, are about to play themselves out again
Education department delays 2021 academic year as the Covid-19 death and infection rates rise rapidly, but assures 2020 matrics that results will be released on time
A slew of recent attacks in the country means sending your child to school can be a life or death decision
When the hard lockdowns kicked in it was discovered that 3 000 schools didn’t have an adequate water supply. But this is not a new problem
How many times should we be outraged before real action is taken to prevent, and not just address, the scourge of sexual abuse in schools?
The schools rationalisation programme is two decades old, but is still plagued by inconsistencies
We cannot simply accept that 75 000 young people or more have dropped out of school this year and that life continues as normal — we need to give them opportunities
Reopening of schools seems to be less about the teachers, parents and students and more about desperate attempts to rescue our failing and unsustainable capitalist economy
The benefits of attending school outweigh the risks and public schools should be allowed to reopen for all learners
The Sexual Offences Act criminalises sex with a person under the age of 16 by a person over the age of 18
Parents have lost their jobs or had salaries cut; without state help the schools just can’t survive
Because of the government’s indecisiveness, we have missed the boat on charting new territory for learning
The parents of the 2020 crisis have little say about their children’s education
Teachers who spoke to the Mail & Guardian this week are not confident that any effective teaching and learning will take place during this academic year, even if it is extended
Schools have been closed again. After months of doing schoolwork at home, not all parents think their children are ready to move to the next grade
These schools, to varying degrees, have an intense attachment to the values of authority and obedience — it is an attachment which numbs critical thought
After unions demanded that schools be closed this week, the department has said it is the cabinet’s prerogative to decide whether schools should close
Losing an academic year is untenable, but a return to class must be safe and all learners must benefit
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Nasrec promises about accountability need to be effected by the ANC, but the party seems incapable of self-policing
Saving the academic year or saving lives?
The coronavirus pandemic is pushing us to respond to issues that were around before Covid-19, including at schools in poor areas
A free webinar discusses how to help young people struggling to find their place in the new normal without classmates and friends
Out of more than 25 000 schools in the country, 8 047 were in hotspots and 6 995 of these were public schools. And most of Gauteng’s and the Western Cape’s schools are in hotspots
The province says the increase in Covid-19 cases has made it re-evaluate some decisions
Only grades six, 11 and R will return to school as expected, with the rest to be phased in later in the month
Contradictory pandemic regulations could to be putting critical training in jeopardy
It may well be that we have warm bodies in schools, but to think their minds are highly productive is a reach
The state rapidly put in place a solution for the emergency provision of water, but it has been hampered by the shortage, and cost, of water tankers
A report from Unesco highlights a lack of access to online learning: only 12% of learners in sub-Saharan Africa can connect to the internet at home
High-stakes choices today, transforming education for tomorrow. Covid-19 must be used as a catalyst to strengthen health and education
It is unrealistic to expect vulnerable people to ensure that nearby schools aren’t vandalised or robbed