Massive challenges to staggered teaching plan

The Eastern Cape education department is proposing those grades returning to school in July alternate days or attend classes at different times of the day, even though it acknowledges these measures could present serious challenges. 

The plan also involves new timetables being drawn up for additional classes, either before or after the normal school day.  

The department has now admitted observing social distancing in the province’s overcrowded schools will be almost impossible. 

But the proposal, presented in a virtual education portfolio committee on Thursday, drew some strong criticism from MPLs, who questioned how teachers would manage the workload were the rotational system to be implemented. 

According to the presentation made by provincial education director-general Ray Tywakadi and superintendent-general Themba Kojana: 

• Eastern Cape schools serving more than 900 pupils could be phased in, with classes staggered on different school-going days on a rotational basis;
• Schools serving between 300 and 900 pupils could use a “platooning” system, whereby a school is divided in two groups of pupils who attend classes at different times of the day.

Platooning is system often used when schools have been shut down and pupils move to another school, creating a situation where one group attends classes in the morning and another in the afternoons.

Pre-grade R, grade R and grades 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 11 and schools of skill year 1 and 2 reopen on July 6.

Schools for pupils with severe intellectual disabilities and those serving autistic learners  open on the same day.

Tywakadi said classrooms were 49m² and were supposed to house a minimum of 42 and a maximum of 49 pupils. But the reality is that many schools in the province far exceed these class numbers. 

DispatchLIVE reported in 2019 that Nozuko Senior Secondary in Mthatha experienced class numbers as high as 124. 

Tywakadi’s report acknowledges that rotational and platooning systems could bring a raft of challenges.  

These include teachers teachers working longer hours, a transport crisis for pupils relying on scholar transport, and  pupils  running the risk of contracting flu or colds as classes could start as early as 7.30am in winter.

But the report states that the system would ensure daily attendance. 

Tywakadi said there also simply would not be enough classes or teachers for those schools with more than 900 pupils to ensure social distancing was enforced. 

For schools with between 300 and 900 pupils, there would be “maximum use of all classrooms” and a timetable change.

In schools where there are less than 300 pupils, there would be more classrooms available and no need for a timetable change.

ANC MPL Anilkumar Pillai raised his concern about the workload implications for teachers.

“The biggest trouble here is the timetable.  During a site visit to a school, we found that one teacher did not even have a free period,” he said.

“Now, whether we make it platoon or not, it would be difficult because that teacher won’t even have breathing time. That becomes a very, very difficult process.”

He also said there might not be any uniformity with the platooning system.

“At some schools, teachers are coming in on a particular day and teaching comfortably.

“But at other schools, all teachers are just sitting there. The timetabling process still needs to be looked at,” Pillai said.

Kojana said he had taken note of Pillai’s concern and would see what could be done.

DA MPL Yusuf Cassim asked Kojana about how the school nutrition programme would be run at schools that worked through the rotational system.

Kojana said the department would send a circular to principals stipulating that food would have to be cooked and packaged by the schools.

“The decision we have taken from the department is that we cook for all of them,” Kojana said.

UDM MPL Mncedisi Filtane grilled Kojana about the department’s catch-up plan for the schools which had not yet reopened. 

Kojana said there was a catch-up plan that pupils would follow. He did not go into further detail.

In the public interest, most of our coronavirus news isn’t behind our paywall, and is free to read. To support our mission of delivering award-winning, independent local news, subscribe from as little as R45 per month by clickin