Inside KZN Education's 'plan' to distract pupils from Covid-19 anxiety

When KwaZulu-Natal children start going back to school next month, their teachers will be expected to regale them with "positive stories" about the government's successes in the fight against Covid-19 that they can share with family and friends.

Pupils will also be given "interesting work" to keep their minds busy so they don't become anxious about Covid-19 infections.

These are some of the initiatives the provincial education department is set to introduce at schools as the different grades gradually return to class.

Pupils from grades 12 and 7 countrywide are expected to return on June 1.

The top structure of KwaZulu-Natal's education department unveiled their plan for the reopening of schools to the director-general of basic education, Mathanzima Mweli, at a meeting on April 30.

The plan outlines how the province will tackle issues such as prevention-product procurement, school infrastructure, pupil transport, screening and testing, feeding schemes and the provision of psycho-social support for pupils.

In addition to teaching and helping pupils catch up with schoolwork, teachers are encouraged to become caregivers who will help pupils focus on their wellbeing rather "than the fear of the coronavirus".

Age-appropriate information and facts will be provided to protect pupils against "false, intimidating information about Covid-19".

The national department of basic education has ordered provinces to draft policies to protect teachers and pupils who test positive for the virus from stigmatisation.

A document titled "Criteria for reopening of schools based on deconcentrating and social distancing'' also says provinces must:

lIdentify an isolation facility to temporarily contain pupils and staff who might have the virus;

• Make temperature test kits available;

• Identify key personnel to conduct screening for every teacher, pupil and visitor; and

• Draw up plans to enforce the sanitisation of hands at the school gate for teachers and pupils.

David de Korte, national president of the South African Principals' Association, welcomed the KwaZulu-Natal department's plans. "At present we are all anxious and children pick this up and become stressed and fearful. Anything we can do to lower fear and stress levels would be a good thing at schools," he said.

But educational psychologist Andreas Baron said that while there was a need, especially with children, to provide a positive narrative around Covid-19, "one cannot help but wonder why there is a specific focus on 'interesting' work'. How does this differ from 'regular' schoolwork, and if there is a difference, why was the work pre-Covid-19 not interesting?''

Baron said that while a positive narrative should be provided. it needed to be balanced with realistic and factual information.

"Children will pick up very quickly if one is attempting to pull the wool over their eyes, or when one is disingenuous with information," he said.

"There is merit in keeping their minds off the pandemic. However, overcompensating with work that is too optimistic and unrealistic is also not the answer."

Veteran educationist Mary Metcalfe said one of the urgent challenges when pupils return is for teachers to provide maximum psycho-social support.

"We need to give as much support as possible to teachers so that they can reduce the levels of worry and give correct information and assist learners," she said.

But Durban teacher Radeshree Naidoo cautioned against schools trying to churn out "propaganda".

"I understand they want us to impart some sort of positivity to the children but that is not going to happen. They are being really shortsighted if they believe they are going to achieve this," she said.

She added that teachers couldn't try to spread optimism if they weren't feeling it themselves. They would also be "overburdened with curriculum coverage".

Basil Manuel, executive director of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA, said while there was a need to be upbeat, "we must be careful that positive education isn't singing the tune of some group".

"If the intention is that we must be saying, 'Look, our president is fantastic, he did all the right things,' it's not the place of the school to do that."

No teacher he knew would "brush that off [Covid-19] as unimportant".

Ben Machipi, general secretary of the Professional Educators' Union, said pupils should not be shielded from reality. "They should have knowledge about [Covid-19] and how to protect themselves from it."