Blog Post 3: Lim's Sociocultural view Discussion

GARDEN METAPHOR DISCUSSION:

Using the garden metaphor as described by Lim (2002) the following can be argued:

Society at large:

Due to the COVID-19 scenario, the society at large are guided by the Government under leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister, Dr. Zweli Mkhize. We are all directed by what measures the government put in place and, to what extent, we are impacted as a people.

Education System:

The education system, both Basic Education and Higher Education are guided by what the Ministers of both Ministries are saying, as well as the Trade Unions in these respective departments. The following are points to ponder as described in the Joint Union Statement if the plan of the Department of Basic Education is to be implemented:

Curriculum

·       If curriculum trimming and curriculum reorganization is to be implemented (accelerated learning programmes are not supported) teachers need clear guidance from a carefully reviewed/ revised curriculum document that enables them to prioritise the aspects of curriculum essential to the building blocks learners will need for the next stage of their learning journey.

Teaching

·       Teachers should be allowed to focus on their core function, teaching, and not on a plethora of administrative reports required on a regular basis from different district and provincial department officials. Teachers need to be able to identify clear and specific learning intentions and success criteria so that they can maximise their engagement with all learners around the trimmed/ reorganized curriculum.

Learning

·         Curriculum coverage still seems to be a high priority despite statements like: “Learning cannot be concertinaed or microwaved in the schooling context given the building block nature of teaching and learning.” And “Such (traumatic) events affect students’ cognitive load, as “working memory capacity is reduced immediately following an acutely stressful experience” in the draft document of the DBE. Surely focusing on developing learners’ thinking and problem-solving skills using engaging content as a vehicle is more important to ensure learners are making cognitive and metacognitive progress?

Assessment

·         Generally, amendments to examinations and assessment are supported and all stakeholders would wish to see the discontinuation of provincial or circuit common exams.

·         Grade 12 – recommendations

1.       Phased in approach supported but for grade 12s only initially. Grade 12s should be prioritised.

2.       Consider trimming/ reorganisation of grade 12 curriculum.

3.       Consider reducing the number of papers for NSC – e.g. Languages 2 papers not 3.

4.       Defer grade 12 exams to later in the year.

School:

Schools are to strictly follow protocols of the Education Department as well as the Health department and adhere to regulations as set out above. Schools should have a clear plan of action for restarting and phasing in the curriculum. All stakeholders within the school system should buy into this as a collective.

Course of Study:

The course of study in all spheres of education are hugely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and drastic measures should be taken to re-route the courses of study in all education sectors. Online learning is to become the new “norm” for courses to be presented and teachers, parents and students should polish their ICT skills / 20^th Century skills to integrate technology into education.

Psychosocial impact:

Psychosocial supports help individuals and communities to heal the psychological wounds and rebuild social structures after an emergency or a critical event. It can help change people into active survivors rather than passive victims. Support psychosocial support for teachers and learners should be linked to Week 1 intervention when teachers and learners return to school.

Adapted from Lim (2002) A theoretical framework for the study of ICT in schools.