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Home / Learning from home mandatory … Education ministry issues guidelines 

Learning from home mandatory … Education ministry issues guidelines 

2020-08-10  Albertina Nakale

Learning from home mandatory … Education ministry issues guidelines 

Parents and schools are reminded to ensure children between the ages of seven to 16 are, as per section 53 of the Education Act 2001, required to remain registered and have regular school attendance amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 
Parents and schools are also reminded that non-compliance with the aforementioned Act may result in a penalty of N$6 000, imprisonment of two years or both. This is according to the guidelines for education delivery in stage 4 as of 4 August until 31 August for all government and private schools. 

With the suspension of face-to-face learning for grades 1-9, government directed that all completed work by learners while at home will be assessed by teachers and count towards promotion. 
President Hage Geingob recently announced face-to-face teaching and learning is suspended for pre-primary to grade 9 for 28 days. 

Education minister Anna Nghipondoka cautioned this suspension is not a school holiday or a total school closure, as learners will have to continue to be engaged with academic work that will be used for assessment; hence, teachers must continue reporting for duty. 
Guidelines issued last week and signed by executive director Sanet Steenkamp stipulate parents or guardians should assume responsibility to get their children’s work, ensure their children complete their tasks, and that they have submitted tasks as per the respective school’s instructions.  She, moreover, said parents should ensure they adhere strictly to the agreed timetables for picking and submitting the worksheets. “In exceptional cases where this is not possible due to distance, it is vital to communicate with schools to make other arrangements. Parents are advised to assist their children to complete the required assessment tasks on their own and not complete the work for them to ensure the validity and reliability of the marks obtained by the leaners,” she noted.  It is mandatory for learners to complete and submit schoolwork. Parents should ensure they sign in or out for every material collected and submitted at school.  Steenkamp directed schools should develop weekly subject packages structured into daily activities for each subject and each learner. Schools will have to come up with timetables indicating specific days and times parents must pick up and submit booklets. Learners should be marked present when material has evidently been collected and submitted to the school. On the other hand, learners should be marked absent if there is no evidence material has been collected. 

Guidelines
For grades 0-7, guidelines stipulate teachers must prepare booklets (paper-based, on-line or blended approaches) that focus on all the skills such as numeracy, literacy, life skills and environmental studies required for those grades. 
“It is essential to ensure tasks cover revision and proportional introduction of new work. Completed workbooks must be submitted on a weekly basis and new work should be issued. Completed work by learners will be assessed by teachers and count towards promotion of learners,” Steenkamp noted. For grades 8-9, teachers must prepare booklets for every promotional subject as per the rationalised curriculum. Completed work is to be submitted on a weekly basis and will be assessed by teachers. This work will count towards the promotion of learners. 
“The mid-term break, slated for the 24 to 28 August, is applicable to all learners and teachers. Learners who request to remain in the hostel should be allowed to do so. Supervision and meals must be provided. Hostel matrons are requested to ensure learners’ requests to remain in the hostel are submitted timeously in order to ensure the placing of food orders accordingly. Hostel matrons will have to work on the 26th of August (Heroes’ Day) and may claim overtime,” Steenkamp said.
– anakale@nepc.com.na


2020-08-10  Albertina Nakale

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