Department of Basic Education Says Schools Are Ready to Kick Start the 2022 Academic Year

• School learners living in inland provinces are expected to return to school in just a week while coastal schools will only resume in mid-January
• The Department of Basic Educations says preparations to welcome learners are already in place and schools are ready to start the academic year
• South Africans have taken to social media to share a few grievances with some parents struggling to have their children enrolled

JOHANNESBURG - With schools in inland provinces beginning the academic year on 12 January and coastal provinces kicking off the school year a week later on 19 January, the Department of Education says schools are ready to welcome pupils.

The department's spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga says the state of readiness report was complied and delivered last year and it is all systems go.

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Speaking to SABC News, Mhlanga stated that the department wants to focus on curriculum coverage in 2022. He says he believes schools will be able to go through the entire syllabus, unlike last year when schools only reopened in February because of Covid19 cases.

Mhlanga adds that school learning materials such as stationery have already been delivered to schools.

Some school learners have yet found school placements

Mhlanga says while the schools might be ready to begin the school year, there is still a concern that some learners have still not found placements in schools. He says the Gauteng and Western Cape provinces have historically had a challenge with school placements.

"As of last year, Gauteng has said they have placed all of them [learners] but we know that there are still some challenges in that regard," said Mhlanga.

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Mhlanga explains the challenge of placing learners in schools will be always there because parents relocate their families and new school learners in grade one and grade eight are entering different school systems for the first time, according to The Citizen.

South Africans say the Department of Education is not ready to start the school year

Dumekhaya Ndamase said:

"Not ALL provinces have stationery having been delivered to schools yet. It is a huge challenge. No miracles or early school opening could be selective in the absence of the stationery. This is an obstacle and a huge predicament."

Parents say their children have not been placed in a school

Gayle Modise said:

"My Grade 8 child is still not placed, even after calling district offices, all they say we must wait for the dept on the 10th, I'm surprised when u say ur ready."

Others call for the department to allow kids to return to school fulltime

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Naim Haffejee said:

"Will all learners be allowed to attend every day????"

Mmusi Maimane calls for new subject in place of LO to help with critical thinking

Briefly News previously reported that Mmusi Maimane, who is the leader and founder of One South Africa Movement has always been an advocate for the improvement of the South African educational system.

The former Democratic Alliance leader headed to social media to include his followers in his advocacy and issued a poll asking them if Life Orientation should be replaced with a new subject.

Taking to his Twitter page, Maimane asked fellow South Africans if they agreed with the idea of introducing a new subject called Critical Thinking and General Knowlege in place of LO. Maimane stated that the new subject would teach theory and the practice of critical thinking.

Source: Briefly News