Online School, Brainline, says the mid-term Grade 12 exams will continue uninterrupted. This is despite an announcement by Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, that the Department’s decided to scrap the June exams for matrics to allow time to cover this year’s curriculum. Brainline CEO, Coleen Cronje, says the school has not been affected by last year’s academic interruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Grade 12’s has been attending daily classes since January.
‘As a fully functional online school, we were fortunate enough not to be affected by the lockdown and subsequent school closures last year and the status quo have continued since we opened our doors on January 25. Our school operates online with virtual classes by qualified teachers, and we are therefore not faced with the same challenges as traditional schools who are now again faced by the third wave of the pandemic,’ she says.
In her address to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Motshekga said the plan was to keep the Grade 12 pupils in class for as long as possible and to make up for lost time. Cronje says they, however, believe it’s imperative that Brainline students write the mid-term exam.
‘As we have had uninterrupted teaching since January it is important that we continue to assess the progress of our learners on a continuous basis to prepare them for the final exams. Our June exams forms part of their marks for the year and it also gives us the opportunity to identify the need for intervention where students need help,’ Cronje explains.
Last month a report by the South African Teachers Union (SAOU) indicated that 66% of schools failed to complete the CAPS-curriculum last year, while more than half have not been able to cover the first phase of curriculum during the first portion of the 2021 academic year. Cronje says these statistics are very concerning in light of the fact that a number of schools are forced to close once again after recording Covid cases recently, putting an even greater burden on the academic calendar.
‘More teaching and learning time are being lost and the curriculum backlog will become even greater for many of these learners,’ Cronje observes.
Cronje says now more than ever, government and academic institutions need to consider online learning options to mitigate the time lost in the classroom. She says it is critical to start phasing in e-learning methods.
‘The pandemic has made online access to learning and teaching essential and urgent. It is therefore important that the basic education authorities partner with the private sector to empower learners and teachers programmes with data, devices and ICT training as a start. This will go a long way to ensure a fairer education system as e-learning and mobile learning could serve as an additional learning resource that can assist in accessing learning tools,’ Cronje says.
E-learning has already been embraced by schools and universities around the country and the world. Cronje says it is estimated that 31.18 million South Africans have access to the internet, while there are 28.9 million active mobile users. She says it is therefore of the utmost importance that the online classrooms enjoy more prominence.
Cronje says Brainline continues to be inundated by students from traditional schools who are looking for alternative online options.
‘Many learners have indicated that they preferred the stability of the online platform to that of the traditional classroom. It is important to note that home or online education has evolved significantly and are now based on individual needs. Home education can provide a safe space for children who may have found the traditional schooling environment challenging,’ says Cronje.
While enrolment for Grade 12 students has closed earlier this year, Brainline is still enrolling new Grade R – 11 learners for Cycle 2. Brainline is IEB recognised. Learners who are enrolled with us to complete their final examinations and who fulfil the requirements for this qualification will receive their National Senior Certificate (NSC), as issued by Umalusi.
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