THE basic education department has gazetted new regulations ahead of the return of full-time classes on Monday.

While all government schools reopened on 26 July as part of the country’s move to an adjusted level 3 lockdown, the basic education department also instructed primary schools (Grades R – 7) to prepare for the return of full-time teaching.

The gazette states that primary schools must return to the traditional and daily attendance timetabling model from 2 August 2021, provided that a ‘risk-adjusted differentiated strategy’ is followed.

“A risk-adjusted differentiated strategy means an approach to school attendance that is determined by the level of reported Covid-19 infections in the school, and Covid-19 infections in the district, municipality, and country,” it said.

The department has also reduced the social distancing measure in primary schools from 1.5 metres to one metre, to accommodate schools with more students and less space.

All returning students must also ensure strict compliance with social distancing measures and minimum health protocols, which include the wearing of face masks, the washing of hands and the use of hand sanitisers.

Schools that are unable to comply with the directions and cannot resume full-time teaching can apply for an exemption with the department.

Sports

Subject to existing Covid-19 regulations, contact sport, non-contact sport, training, matches, and all arts and cultural activities may resume without any spectators at all schools.

The department clarified that includes both inter and intra-school activities.

National, provincial, district championships and tournaments that require learners to travel to other schools or provinces may also resume with strict adherence to prescribed transport regulations and directions.

The following safety measures must be adhered to when resuming the activities:

The number of persons in venues where the activities take place, change rooms or training areas, at any given time, must not be more than 50% of the capacity of the venue with persons observing the social distancing requirements;For outdoor activities, the total number of persons, including participants, officials and other personnel must not exceed 100 and for indoor activities, the number of persons must not exceed 50;Face masks must be worn by all persons entering the venues where the activities take place, change rooms or training areas, except when participating in training or matches;There must be sufficient quantities of hand sanitisers, with at least 70% alcohol content, available for use by all officials, coaches, assistants, learners and participants;There must be facilities for washing of hands with soap and water;All windows and doors must remain open, where feasible, to ensure adequate ventilation;Social distancing must be maintained at all times;The sharing of drinks and drink containers is not allowed;The school or venue hosting the events or activities must ensure that venues, tools and equipment are cleaned and sanitized before and after any activities.Business Tech

LAURA SOLLARS|

DESPITE showing classic symptoms as a child and young adult, I was only diagnosed with dyspraxia in my 30s.

Awareness has grown to the point where I could receive a diagnosis, but it is still a condition misunderstood by society at large. Although thankfully, understanding within the educational community has improved.

Even so, there is still much teachers can learn about this condition and how to make adaptations for pupils with this condition.

These are my top tips for supporting students with dyspraxia in the classroom:

1. Understand – but don’t assume 

Dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD and ASD all share similar traits which make people “neurodiverse”. Just as it is not good enough to assume someone with dyslexia simply has trouble reading, a student with dyspraxia should not be dismissed as “not good at PE”. In my career, I have heard both used. 

People with neurodiversity can display problems with memory, organisation, time management, sequencing, poor listening skills and speech which can often lead to frustration, anxiety and depression when not supported properly. All of these things combined can make school an overwhelming and difficult experience for those who are neurodiverse.

We should never assume because a student is high attaining that they are not finding things hard – people with processing difficulties have to work 10 times harder to make sense of the world. 

Being dyspraxic does not affect someone’s intelligence. In fact, those who are neurodiverse can be incredibly intelligent and creative.  

2. Keep teacher talk to a minimum

Listening and processing information is a difficulty associated with dyspraxia.

I once described listening to long pieces of information as if it was in French – my brain is slowly trying to translate what you are saying while at the same time keeping up with the next bit of information. After about 20 minutes somebody with processing difficulties will reach saturation point where their brain cannot keep this up and will switch off. 

Even as an adult I frequently doodle while I am listening because it is a way of being able to process what I am hearing. Providing some students with space to do this (doodle books, scrap paper etc) can help to organise thoughts. 

Students may look off-task but actually this will help them to process the information they have been given.  

3. Keep tasks short and simple

Students are frequently presented with information overload in the classroom – PowerPoint presentations and worksheets in particular can be too busy.

Although visuals are a great idea to support information on the whiteboard, too many visuals, like lots of colours and texts can be overwhelming. Keep things simple and keep tasks short and sharp – regular tasks should not take more than 10-15 minutes.

Giving students printouts and handouts are a good idea too – they can then refer back to them throughout the lesson. 

And remember: keeping lesson delivery simple does not mean the lesson itself isn’t challenging and having an impact. 

4. Repeating instructions

People with dyspraxia tend to have poor short-term memories so it is really important instructions are repeated regularly and you ensure students are on the right path to any task or goal they have been set. 

Make sure examples and instructions are visual: for example, on a board or on paper and that they are clear and well scaffolded. 

5. Questioning

Often as teachers we ask a question in a classroom, we get an answer and move on.

But for students who have processing difficulties, they may still be thinking of the answer while you have moved on and then may not have the opportunity to contribute. Therefore, try to give time to allow students to think through your question rather than choosing hands that shoot straight up. 

Students with processing difficulties may also often come out with answers you may not even have thought of which can serve as a great discussion point or avenue for further learning ideas.

6. Have patience

It can be frustrating when a student is constantly losing things, spends ages getting changed from PE or is slow at getting packed up at the end of the lesson. 

But for those with dyspraxia navigating a school building can be hard work, especially having to pack and unpack their bags multiple times a day and remembering to take everything they need. 

Please be patient with them. 

Laura Sollars is head of humanities at a secondary school in England.SOURCE: Tes.com

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA|

LAST week, I had a chance to meet some of the heroes on the frontline of our fight against COVID-19 when I visited two vaccination sites in Tembisa and Midrand.

These heroes include the health workers administering the vaccines and the many South Africans who are coming forward to be vaccinated and thereby safeguard the health of the nation.
 
The number of vaccinations administered in South Africa has now passed the 7.5 million mark. Around three million people are fully vaccinated. At the present rate, we are vaccinating on average 220,000 people a day. In the coming weeks, this rate will increase significantly due to the arrival of more vaccine doses.
 
Nearly 1.5 million single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been handed to the Department of Health in the last couple of days. Over the past weekend, a donation of 5.66 million Pfizer vaccines from the USA government began arriving in the country. This is part of a donation of vaccines from the United States to African countries and low- and middle-income countries in other parts of the world.
 
Our country is also making history. The first COVID-19 vaccines produced in Africa, for Africa, were released by Aspen Pharmacare from its flagship manufacturing plant in Gqeberha last week. These vaccines will be made available to the rest of the continent through the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, which we set up during our tenure as African Union chair.
 
Thanks to the efforts of all involved in the multisectoral vaccine acquisition response, we now have a comfortable supply of stocks to vaccinate our population.
 
The two vaccination sites I visited are among an estimated 3,000 vaccination sites we have set up in the country. These sites are currently providing vaccines to any person above the age of 35, healthcare workers, and employees in participating workplaces.
 
To meet demand, several sites around the country are now operating on weekends, and many innovations – like vaccination drive-throughs and mobile vaccination units – are in operation.
 
One of the two vaccination sites I visited is run by the private sector in partnership with government and the other is run by the government, yet both facilities had similar levels of excellent service and professionalism.
 
Our private sector, including medical schemes, has worked alongside government from the onset of the pandemic, helping to mobilise resources and, most recently, helping us meet our national vaccination targets.
 
At the Rabasotho Community Centre in Tembisa, I saw government’s Batho Pele principles in action.
 
The process was efficient and streamlined: from the COVID-19 Vaccination Card people are issued with to help them keep track of their doses, to data-capturing stations, to observation stations with doctors on standby for those who have just received their jab. Importantly, the site has an information area where those presenting for vaccination are given clear information in their own language on the different vaccine options available.
 
We spoke with Mama Rosemary Mabaso, 67, who had come for her second dose. She said that the staff at the centre had treated her with the utmost care and courtesy and helped allay her initial fears of getting vaccinated.
 
I am encouraged that so many South Africans accept the need to be vaccinated. The latest National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (CRAM) found that there is increased public openness to accepting a COVID-19 vaccine. Only 1 in 10 South Africans believe that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe.
 
The Mathebulas, a couple from Tembisa who had come to the centre together to get vaccinated, told us that they were initially hesitant ‘because of negative stories going around,’ but had decided to follow government’s advice to get vaccinated.
 
Such expressions of confidence are greatly encouraging, as are the words of Mama Mabasa, who said: “I want to tell everyone out there is no need to be scared; this vaccine is safe, and it is helping us.”
 
Indeed, vaccines are safe. They are our best protection against this disease and the national vaccination programme is our surest guarantee of a swift health and economic recovery.
 
I want to encourage South Africans to continue to follow the guidance of the World Health Organisation and our Department of Health around COVID-19 vaccines. We need to avoid spreading misleading and false information that can cause confusion.
 
As we work to vaccinate as many people as possible by end of the year, we salute the officials, healthcare workers and staff of the vaccination centres who are working tirelessly to support the national effort.
 
But by far, the greatest heroes are the South African people, of whose resilience and steadfastness I remain in awe.
 
Over a year and a half, we have experienced a deadly pandemic, severe economic and social hardship, and recently, serious unrest wrought by those who want to see our country fail.
 
By going out and getting vaccinated, we aren’t just protecting ourselves. We are performing a patriotic duty to our country and our fellow citizens.
 
In this great race to preserve human life, let us continue to work together in the interests of the health and welfare of our nation. In this way, we will ensure that recovery is certain.

From the desk of the President

THE suspended Director-General of the Higher Education Department, Gwebinkundla Qonde, has accused Minister Dr Blade Nzimande of abusing his ministerial powers, including giving him the go-ahead to flout procurement processes in favour of certain beneficiaries.

These shocking claims were revealed by City Press on Sunday in which Qonde details how Nzimande allegedly set up a ministerial task team specifically for the procurement of laptops for National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) beneficiaries.   

The DG also said he tried to alert President Cyril Ramaphosa about Nzimande’s conduct, but the president paid no attention.

Qonde was suspended with full pay and benefits after a disclaimer audit opinion by the Auditor-General of South Africa in July. 

This comes amidst a pending forensic investigation into the National Skills Fund (NSF), which found the budget to have been underspent by R1.8 billion.

The entity also did not have adequate records of commitments of earmarked funds, and found that adjustments in the financial statement could not determine whether it was necessary to spend R2.5 billion on skills development funding. 

The Department of Science and Innovation director-general Dr Phil Mjwara is currently the acting Director-General for the Higher Education Department until the conclusion of the investigations and any process that may ensue thereafter.

In a letter to Parliament’s higher education Portfolio Committee, Qonde said Nzimande encouraged him to violate procurement processes when 500,000 laptops for NSFAS students was meant to take place. 

He said that Nzimande’s task team was instructed with continuing with an existing contract, instead of advertising the laptops on a tender basis, he said in a report in possession of committee chairperson Philemon Mapulane. 

The existing contract would have continued an agreement between Bongani Rainmaker Logistics and the Gauteng Department of Education. 

On Friday, Nzimande dismissed Qonde’s claims.

“The decision to place DG Qonde under precautionary suspension emanates from an adverse audit report by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA). The AGSA found that much of a total amount of just under R5 billion could not be properly accounted for over two financial years by the National Skills Fund,” Nzimande said in a statement.

“These are indeed huge sums of money that the AGSA found they could not have been properly accounted for. The DG of the DHET, by virtue of this position, is also the accounting authority of the NSF. He therefore has the responsibility for all the funds and their expenditure.”

While Qonde has not as yet been found guilty, Nzimande said that a precautionary suspension is necessary so that a comprehensive forensic investigation into the NSF can be done.

He added that the need for such an investigation has also been called for by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA).

“It is therefore a smokescreen that the suspension of DG Qonde is for any other reason than for conducting an investigation into this serious matter.”

Nzimande also noted with concern the continued reporting by some sections of the media on the matter in a manner that “completely ignores these very serious audit findings”.

“It seems the media thus far has been reporting without even bothering to engage with the AG findings and their implications. Media reportage thus far has also not even bothered to study the SCOPA hearings, findings and recommendations on the same matter,” Nzimande said.

The Auditor-General said: “I do not express an opinion on the financial statements of the public entity because of the significance of the matters described in the basis for disclaimer of opinion section of this auditor’s report. I was unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to provide a basis for an audit opinion on these financial statements”.

During the National Skills Fund 2019/20 audit disclaimer hearing, held on the 18 May 2021, SCOPA chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa also said that the committee was wholly unsatisfied with the responses provided.

“The committee proposes a full-scale forensic investigation into NSF for the past three years. Further the Minister must provide a roadmap within 30 days on the process and structure of a forensic investigation, including its potential collaboration with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU),” Hlengwa said at the time.

Inside Education