Newsletters


2020-06-16
Newsletter 322 - Covid-19 - Poor learners - "So many left behind"


We have left so many poor learners behing it is indeed shameful but expedient for the DBE and the teacher Unions/Organisations which reneged on a stated principled position of "we will leave no learner behind". They all lied to us...no! They have all lied to you!

One wonders what kind of deal has been passed "under the table". The nonitoring and evaluation authority referred to by the Minister stated that the conditions for returning to school is not "absolute" but "relative". Let me decode this. This is code for saying all our school will never be ready on any given day; so we go with the relative numbers swinging in our favour...those not ready will get onboard later...

 Amy-Leigh Payne and Petra Marais indicated that

  • "The directions from the Department of Basic Education, as they currently stand, leave too much latitude for individual well-resourced schools to take decisions that will be self-serving and do nothing to improve a deeply unequal system. We need unambiguous accountability, swift remedial steps and all-encompassing directions."
  • "Instead of allowing well-off schools to forge ahead and capitalise on their good fortune, they should veer from the orthodox and assist those learners in schools that are not able to reopen. The pandemic presents an opportunity for well-resourced schools to partner with poorly-resourced schools and to lessen the inequalities and challenge the status quo. If the department is not going to take the lead on this, well-resourced schools themselves should be looking for ways to assist the struggling schools." 
  • "In conclusion, who decides which of the 12 million children enrolled in public schools will be left behind? The directions as they currently stand leave too much latitude for individual well-resourced schools to take decisions that will be self-serving and do nothing to improve a deeply unequal system. We need unambiguous accountability, swift remedial steps and all-encompassing directions."


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