Management of Randfontein Primary School (REM) said morale remains high among their staff members despite the threats Covid-19 poses in schools and society.
“We are making the most of what’s left of the 2020 academic year,” said Bernadette Eloff, the school’s deputy principal.
In an exclusive interview with the Herald, Bernadette shared what additional measures the school has in place to beat the virus.
When you come into our school you’ll notice dots on our play fields and near the tuck shop, meaning a learner will occupy a dot; keeping a safe distance of 1,5m between others,” Eloff said.
However, she said, it was strange for kids to adjust to the new normal, especially the first few days after classes officially resumed.
“We first asked the parents to remind their children that when they came back, school would be different; they won’t be allowed to sit next to each other, nor can they borrow or share items. There will not be any physical contact among them,” Bernadette explained.
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She went on to say that at first, learners were on varying levels of understanding what Covid-19 was, and what exactly the safety protocols entailed.
To help the school, she said the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) appointed a supporting official to monitor all the school’s transport, that they are sanitized and disinfected, and that everyone adhered to safety regulations.
As a result of the lockdown, she said teachers remain concerned about the learners’ academic progress as only essential parts will be covered in the remaining three months of the school year.
She said she hoped that by then learners will be ready and have a good understanding of the concepts.
Fortunately, she said the curriculum is designed for repetition, but there may be subjects that need to be covered more in-depth than others.
She said despite the challenges, the school’s staff has managed to keep the morale up by supporting each other, especially when they were down.
We are hoping that all this shall pass so that parents, teachers and children reach the level they should be on,” Bernadette said.
