The South African Broadcasting Corporation is to offer school lessons on the small screen and radio airwaves to enable the country’s students catch up with missed classes during the coronavirus lockdown, APA learnt on Wednesday.
According to the SABC TV and the Basic Education Ministry, the two organisations have launched a COVID-19 learner support initiative in an effort to limit the impact of the lockdown on the school calendar.
The multimedia initiative was part of broader efforts to prevent the total loss of the school year, the two bodies said.
Education authorities shut down schools on 18 March as part of measures to stop the coronavirus pandemic from spreading.
The country has been on a 21-day lockdown since 27 March after President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered everyone to stay home and exercise personal hygiene to contain the disease, which has so far infected about 1,600 people.
The educational programme will be broadcast across three SABC TV channels and 13 radio stations – with online support – starting on Thursday, the broadcaster and ministry said.
“The series will provide curriculum support lessons to learners in Grades 10, 11 and 12 and Early Childhood Development (ECD).
“Some of the subjects covered will include Mathematics, Physical Sciences, English First Additional Language, Life Sciences and Accounting. A variety of African languages are also covered under the ECD basket,” they said.
The SABC and the ministry said the initiative was also launched in anticipation of the mid-year examinations scheduled for June 2020.
NM/jn/APA