Virtual teaching for children stuck at home
Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams says the public broadcaster will provide a channel to allow for virtual learning during the looming lockdown.
Ndabeni-Abrahams, alongside cabinet colleagues Senzo Mchunu, Gwede Mantashe and Nathi Mthethwa gave details on how the various departments will respond to the 21-day lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday.
Ndabeni-Abrahams said the department and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) have also identified two studios which will be turned into classrooms.
"Our children are sitting at home, they are playing cartoons, others are finishing food. Parents are worried and ours is to say how do we make sure that our own students at home can be in a classroom whilst they are in comfort at home.
"Which is why SABC has availed channels that will be dedicated to education, including identifying two studios that whereby the broadcast of the virtual classrooms will be provided," she says.
Ndabeni-Abrahams said the teaching will not be pre-recorded.
"As we talk about this we don't refer to videos that are recorded that are going to be showcased but an environment whereby we have teachers live in the studio teaching children that would encourage parents to make sure they wake up and put on their uniform like they would do when they are in their classrooms."
She adds that channels will also be cleared to ensure that Easter weekend sermons are broadcast live.
Ndabeni Abrahams says Google is the department's partner in this initiative.
"South Africa is a religious country. We are faced with a weekend that is coming, people are heartbroken that they not going to get an opportunity to be on the pulpit or do what they do best during the Easter weekend.
"It is in this context that together with the broadcasters, both the SABC and those that are under DSTV have agreed to clear some channels in order to ensure that South Africa has an Easter Sunday broadcasted and online - Google is our key partner on this one".
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The measures forms part of the city's efforts to ensure compliance during the next 21 days, when South Africans are expected to stay at home as the country tries to reduce the rate of coronavirus infections. Mayoral spokesperson Mlimandlela Ndamase says all essential services will continue to operate as normal over the next three weeks.