The Deparment of Higher Education, Science and Technology has been working on plans to enhance online learning platforms to accommodate students so that remote learning can continue.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday (24 May), that the country will move to level 3 lockdown from the 1st of June.
The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technolgy, Buti Manamela talking to Cape Talk explained how higher education institutions are getting ready for the reopening of universities from the 1st of June.
33% of students will be returning to campus. “Univeristies will be spending this time building up to ensure that they get the universities ready according to the guidelines and protocols regarding sanitation, PPE, and quarantine”
He further stated that most univeristies needed atleast two weeks to prepare for the students who are allowed to return to campus.
Adding to the medical and clinical students who are in campus, trimetser students will be returning to TVET colleges, these are engineering students.
This will be followed by a phase-in return of other students within various fields.
“We have had discussions with unions, students Vice-chancellors that we will have to reconstitute the academic year, that we really complete that”
In conclusion he added that, ” What we have been working on, is that all students by 1 June get some form of support and that is what we have asked universities to do -either send them a device, learning materials, data,”
