FOR parents with school-age children, the Covid-19 outbreak has made going back to school anything but routine. Learners, parents and teachers around the world have felt the extraordinary ripple effects of this pandemic that has struck the world.
Schools have had to prepare and re-engineer their year plan, curriculum and teaching methods to adhere to the new normal. One such school that has been doing so is Dirkie Uys Primary School. From the advent of the lockdown, the school’s team of experienced and professional teachers were quick to make the transition to the online teaching and learning platforms with ease, using Whatsapp and Google Classroom as the initial medium of communication.
Moving forward the school then implemented an online learning platform, using their website as a means to receive work for each grade. While the school encourages learners and parents to embrace the on-site classwork, they also at the same time understand that there will be those parents who are not comfortable or unable to access the online material.
“It is for this reason that Dirkie Uys teachers have created study work packs for every grade. These packs have been handed out to parents to work from home with their children during the school’s closure period. The school has also gone to the extent of collecting such study material for marking for remedial purposes,” said teacher, Munadia Shaik.
The school also faces the additional challenge of financial strains and currently cannot afford to have all staff members return to work.
The school’s principal Nduduzo Mhlongo shared: “Dirkie Uys would have not coped during the lockdown if it was not for the parents who make an effort even under difficult circumstances to pay school fees. We are appealing to all parents to pay fees to enable the school to remain operational and to cope with the challenges that have been caused by Covid-19. I thank the SGB, staff and the school’s management team for the positive roles they are playing to ensure that the institution achieves its goals.”
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