CAPE TOWN - The University of Cape Town (UCT) is set to reopen with a 4 step plan which may be adopted by other South African universities.
The phases of reopening will prioritise medical students in phase 1, especially those in their final year and after comes ‘vulnerable students’ without remote learning facilities that require tutoring.
The following phase will be students in need of university equipment to complete their courses. The final phase, reintroducing all other students will only take place once all previous phases proves to be a success.
Phase 1: Final-year medical students will return to clinical platforms and work with Groote Schuur Hospital. All safety precautions such as screening and monitoring will continue as they are currently.
Phase 2: Vulnerable students who do not have remote learning facilities, such as computers and internet and requires tutoring return.
Phase 3: Students who requires access to university equipment and facilities, such as labs and studios, in order to complete their academic year.
Phase 4: If all phases above are successful, the return of all other students may commence if permitted. This phase will be lead by national directives.
Remote learning and video classes were implemented in June across South Africa, to ease the transition some universities provided students with data allowances and NSFAS plans to arrange laptops for students in need.
However, the reopening of universities remains crucial as there is no common solution with the lockdown presenting varying challenges to each individual student.
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