Make no mistake. Learning pre-Covid was fun for a lot of learners who knew that education is power and intended to use it to empower themselves. However, Covid-19 brought a lot of changes to many young lives, especially during the outbreak of the pandemic.

 

 

 

 

A lot of learners especially those from state schools had to stay at home while the government decided on their future, whether to allow them to go to school and risk getting infected with the virus or to let them stay home while it prepares for their safe return.

This meant that each learner had to wear a facial mask, practice hygiene, and adhere to all health protocols while going to school occasionally.

For learners who were attending schools that could accommodate all learners without risking their health, they had a better chance to catch up, but this was not the case for learners from smaller schools, as they had to stick to rotational timetables.

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Just recently, the Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga to cancel rotational timetables and the social distance rule as the country is now on alert level 1.

It seems that the government has listened without the DA heading to court. The Presidency has announced that all learners are to resume their daily attendance at their designated schools effective immediately. This includes Primary school learners, Secondary Schools, and Special Schools.

While this calls for a celebration and will allow learners to catch up, some parents are not so happy and want their children to only go back to the daily attendance once the lockdown has been lifted. Others are concerned that their children are yet to be vaccinated, and they believe that this amendment will only lead to a disaster.
The time has come for the country to go back to normal, and this includes youngsters as well. It has been the hardest two years of their lives, therefore if there is no risk of them getting infected in schools, then it is only fair that they attend daily. Who knows, perhaps the government will make further amendments should the country enter another wave. For now, parents should set them free and allow them to go to school.