Schools launch recovery plan

Class hours extended, sport suspended

AN intense recovery programme to make up lost time in the classroom has started in Port Elizabeth’s northern areas schools. All schools were open on Monday after an almost month-long stayaway by thousands of pupils.

The shutdown, sparked by last year’s shocking provincial and Nelson Mandela Bay matric results, and alleged mismanagement by the provincial Department of Education, erupted just days into the new school year.

Principals immediately started with the recovery programme this week, with some schools opting for longer days and Saturday classes.

Sports and extramural activities have also been suspended at a number of schools.

Bertram High School principal Jerome May said the school had extended its hours from Monday to Thursday by 50 minutes.

His school will now end at 3.20pm on those days.

“We have calculated that we lost exactly 108 hours while schools were closed,” he said.

“We are concerned about burnout, but we will monitor the situation.”

Matrics will also have Saturday classes from 8am to 2.30pm.

“We started this past Saturday and it went really well with a 98% attendance,” May said.

“There were complaints from some teachers and we understand that not everyone can come in every Saturday.”

Bethelsdorp Comprehensive School principal Leon Arendse said the school had devised a recovery plan in consultation with staff and parents.

“We have suspended our sports programme in its entirety for the first term,” he said.

“We are also starting at 8am and ending at 3pm every day.”

The school’s matrics will also have Saturday classes, from 8am to noon.

The school has also postponed all tests until the last three days of the term, March 16 to 18, meaning teachers will mark the tests during the holidays.

“We are concerned because our school lost three teachers, meaning our classes have between 48 and 50 pupils in a class,” Arendse said.

“Our parents agreed to pay for two more teachers otherwise the classes would have been even bigger.”

David Livingstone Senior Secondary School principal Dr Desmond Grove said the school had extended its day by 30 minutes, with school starting at 7.45am and ending at 2.30pm.

“This has allowed us to extend all periods to 63 minutes,” he said.

“We will also hold afternoon classes for an extra hour after school, working on critical subjects like maths, science and accounting.”

Grove said the school had always held Saturday classes for its matrics and would continue to do so, with the classes running from 8.30am to 1.30pm.

“However, my concern is the upcoming control tests,” he said.

“We are still working according to our quarterly plan and will have to see how many projects we can cover before then.”

Gelvandale Primary School acting principal Elaine Frans said the school had postponed all its sports programmes and extramural activities for the first term.

“It is difficult for primary school children as we cannot extend the day – they do not have the necessary concentration span,” she said.

Frans said pupils were being given more homework.

“We have also postponed tests until the end of the term and conferencing with parents on progress has been postponed to mid-May,” she said.

Bethvale Primary School principal Cedric van Vuuren said the school day had been extended – from 7.45am to 2.30pm.

“We will also have Saturday classes for Grades 4 to 7, [with the focus] on crucial subjects like maths, science and languages,” he said.

“We would have liked to lengthen the day even more, but it is difficult for the little ones to concentrate after a certain time.”