As senior and junior schools opened nationally on 15 February, staff at Kingsway High School in Amanzimtoti, are well-prepared with anticipation for returning and new pupils.
Carl van der Merwe, deputy principal at KHS, said that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) issued, “recovery annual teaching plans” to fulfill lost content from the 2020 academic year.
The deputy said that the three-year long adjusted dates and syllabus formed part of a strategic plan from the department to cover content while taking into account additional waves of Covid-19 and resultant disruptions.
Van der Merwe said: “The academic calendar has already changed following the second Covid-19 wave. Our school has taken all factors into cognisance and our academic staff have adopted ‘Blended Learning’ to add to the teaching of the curriculum.” However, the deputy still admits that parents and pupils alike are fearing the unknown. He said: “Covid-19 is no longer a statistic. It has names. It is our friends and family. Fortunately having strengthened our Blended Learning Platform KHS hopes to assist pupils by ensuring their academics continue albeit during their absenteeism.”
As alert levels can vary, so do impacts on sport, arts and other extracurricular activities. Van der Merwe said: “league matches, cultural events and sports days. These are all on hold as per instruction by the sporting bodies. However, we’ve been permitted to go ahead with fitness training in all sport codes provided there is no contact. This concession applies to physical education and we are ensuring our learners participate in physical exercise, out in the sun following all social distancing protocols.”
