WATCH: Prof Jansen says scrap entire 2020 school year – pass all students

'I'm concerned about the department of basic education cancelling time off during school holidays and weekends in a bid to 'cram' in as much knowledge as possible before the end-of-year exams. This is highly irresponsible.'

Prof Jonathan Jansen. Picture: Gallo Images

In an interview with SABC News, education expert Professor Jonathan Jansen has weighed in on possible solutions suggesting that, because there isn’t clarity on when exactly SA schools will reopen, the 2020 school year should be scrapped with all learners then being progressed to the next grade.

This is how Jansen suggests this could be practically implemented:

When schools reopen, continue as normal in terms of teaching children the curriculum.
Do not put pressure on teachers.
Pass every learner in Grade 1 to Grade 11 at the end of the year.
Use 2021 to reorganise their curriculum.
For Grade 12 (matrics) wanting to go to university, the universities must accept them based on their preliminary acceptance results from Grade 11.
Universities and schools must sit together to plan a bridging curriculum for these progressed matrics.

Jansen said: “What we do know is that when schools are eventually reopened, they will not be able to proceed as usual for two reasons. Firstly, the CAPS curriculum for schools is already loaded without the lost time brought on by schools closing during the national lockdown. It would be unfair to ask teachers to try and make up for this lost time.”

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“I’m concerned about the department of basic education cancelling time off during school holidays and weekends in a bid to ‘cram’ in as much knowledge as possible before the end-of-year exams. This is highly irresponsible,” added Jansen.

Jansen also points to the fact that the mere resumption of the school year with no special considerations being made would only add to the widening the economic inequalities that already exits in South African society.

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The department of basic education has responded to Jansen’s suggestion and labelled them too drastic. In a column on TimesLive, spokesperson for the department of basic education Elijah Mhlanga said it was too early to scrap the school year.

“In fact, that thought had not even occurred to Minister Angie Motshekga. It is actually laughable that this kind of suggestion would come from an academic who occupies a position such as his. It is not the first time the basic education system has experienced such disruptions,” stated Mhlanga.