Johannesburg- The Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga announced that those schools using the rotational learning timetable will continue to do so in the 2022 academic year.
However, Jackie Cook, Chief of Academic Operations at Teneo Online School, feels that rotational learning may not be the answer.
“Although the safety of learners and teachers should remain a priority, continuing with rotational learning may not be the answer. Given the past two years, an uninterrupted academic year is absolutely critical for South African students who have already lost countless months of learning due to the pandemic,” says Cook.
Cook notes that some of the biggest issues with schools using rotational timetables are:
- Educators are under pressure to deliver the curriculum but won’t have adequate time to do so. If the curriculum is ‘trimmed’ to account for this, learners who complete the academic year may find they are not adequately prepared for future studies.
- Learners can fall behind easily and it’s hard to catch up when time is limited, and teachers are under pressure.
- Children thrive in a structured environment and learners of all ages are still struggling with the rotational system.
One of the biggest benefits of a structured live online school is that it continues, uninterrupted with an untrimmed curriculum, despite the current climate. It is also a “real classroom experience” but merely online, as students and teachers interact with one another as they would in any brick-and-mortar school.
Teneo Online School is expected to reach 10 000 enrolments for the 2022 academic year.
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