Covid-19 adding to depression and suicide among pupils, says education activist
Education activist Hendrick Makaneta says Covid-19 is adding to the already-high levels of depression and suicide among pupils in the country.
“Covid-19 created a challenge of inadequate preparedness amongst learners, particularly those from township and rural schools. It is for this reason that the government should find a way to dispatch social workers to schools with a view to assist in tracking learners who show signs of being suicidal.
“We have already lost a number of learners as a result of suicide and the situation if not addressed may increase further as the examination period continues.”
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This year’s academic calendar has been decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic, with pupils having lost months of schooling due to the closure of schools.
This had led to concerns over their preparedness for the end-of-the-year exams.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has already said that she is not too concerned about this year’s matric pass rate due to the difficulties experienced during the academic year.
