Despite all our greatest hopes and wishes, the spectre of Covid-19 continues to hang over South Africa and its educational system. The schools and institutes that have survived the devastating blow of the initial first waves of the pandemic have proven to be more resilient and innovative than ever before.
For the 2022 academic year, the government plans on tackling some of the biggest issues caused by the pandemic in the education sector.
As of April 2022, South Africa’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector will fall under the Department of Basic Education and will no longer be run by the Department of Social Development.
According to an online publication, the main reason for this step is to improve the development of children and the quality of early childhood education. Early childhood development has shown to be an essential yet often overlooked or neglected aspect of a child’s schooling journey.
This move does not come without controversy as only 40 000 of the 180 000 early childhood development teachers will be vaccinated. According to the vaccine roll-out plan as set up by the Department of Basic Education, only Grade R to 3 teachers will be vaccinated. Teachers who work with younger children (up to four years) are not part of the roll-out.
The current Basic Education Act in South Africa compels parents to send their children to school under threat of a fine or imprisonment up to 12 months. Yet, despite this only 50% of children enrolled in the school system complete their schooling
The new Amendment Bill of Basic Education states that school attendance is compulsory from Grade R and no longer from Grade 1, as is currently the case. Previously school attendance was compulsory from Grade 1.
It also states that anyone who blocks a child from attending school without just cause, including parents, schools or governing bodies, would be guilty of an offence and face a possible fine and/or imprisonment.
According to the Love trust NPO, the opposite might prove true: parents struggling financially, who are found guilty and sentenced, will be worse off than before, meaning that their children will also suffer as a consequence. The more effective solution would be to provide support and relief for families that struggle with problems and thereby mitigate the need to implement stricter rules.