No campus-based activities will resume on 1 May

No campus-based activities will resume from 1 May.

This was announced by the Minister of Higher Education and Learning Blade Nzimande on Thursday.

Nzimande said the 2020 academic year would be re-organised to enable all institutions and students to complete academic requirements, with the prospects of extending into early 2021 depending on the epidemiology and impact of the Covid-19.

“Guided by the work and decisions of the National Command Council, we have decided not to resume with campus-based academic activity throughout the PSET sector, including all universities and TVET colleges, both public and private, during the level 4 lockdown period,” he said.

”Like all the other sectors in our society, we have been forced to take immediate and drastic measures to contain the spread of the virus and ensure our students and staff are protected.”

Nzimande said the department had put in place a number of interventions to ensure that virtual learning continued across the PSET system.

This included the development and implementation of effective multi-modal remote learning systems to provide a reasonable level of academic support to all students at all institutions to resume academic learning and teaching support.

He said the department would make sure that no student or institution was left behind.

“We are securing a universal access deal with the major mobile network operators around data and connectivity to support remote learning,” he said.

“We are close to reaching a deal.”

He further said the procurement and distribution of devices, such as laptops for all students, was being finalised and urged all students to ensure that they urgently register their correct numbers for data to be loaded.

The only exception of physical learning at institutions would be for the final year clinical training (medical) students, under strict conditions. These students would directly assist with the health management campaign of the Department of Health with the fight against Covid-19.

“The risks of a return to normal campus-based activity for thousands of students and staff are simply too great and cannot function successfully outside of the national context of a general lockdown.”

In order to recover lost time Nzimande said the June, July holidays would fall away.

The number of college holidays will be reduced for June and September 2020.

Writing of exams of TVET May/June examinations has been postponed and candidates who were supposed to write the examinations will sit at the end of the year.

“When students return to campuses, protocols will be in place for the maintenance of physical distance, access to hand sanitisers and protective masks, and continual deep cleaning of facilities.”

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