Schools have been closed for a month and most have resorted to online learning as a solution. The initial lockdown plan was scheduled to end on Thursday 16 April, however President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a week before that it would be extended to 30 April.
Vodacom has come up as one of the biggest contributors towards education during this time. They have workbooks and posters available for children from Grade R to Grade 12 on Vodacom e-School. The material is available in multiple languages and is also free.
With a variety of accessible material available for matric learners and younger, how exactly do schoolkids feel about online schooling and doing their work from home?
Sinoyolo B (16)*
Phakama Secondary High School, Cape Town
“I prefer working at school, there are less distractions there. Our school doesn’t have one coherent online learning system as not all of us have access to laptops or enough data. However, most of our teachers have kept in contact with us through WhatsApp and are giving us work there.”
Buchule L (4)
Explore and Discover Montessori, Cape Town
“I miss the monkey bars and my friends. I don’t like being at home, that’s not fair. But you have to stay at home for 20 days and stop the spread of Covid-19. We do show and tell on my mommy’s phone and draw our families.”
Nkhensani M (9)
Northwest Christian School, Johannesburg
“They send us work via email and then we have to do it. I prefer working at school. I find the lockdown frustrating, I don’t want to be home. I miss working in my classroom, my friends and all my teachers.”
Alizwa G (15)
Graeme College, Grahamstown
“I’m enjoying online school more than normal school. I am more comfortable where I am. I wouldn’t mind if the lockdown was extended. I would be happier is school opened for sports, that’s the only thing that made school fun.”
Read more:
- Meet the local 8-year-old YouTuber who is teaching kids about Covid-19
- 5 celebrity parents who are using lockdown to teach their kids new skills
- How this Joburg mother is keeping her kids busy during the lockdown
