Johannesburg - South Africa's school curriculum is set to be amended in order to make up for lost time. This comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that schools will officially be closed on Wednesday, March 18 amid the fast growing rate of Covid-19 infections in the country.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Monday morning confirmed that the schools will effectively lose 10 days due to the closure which will stretch over beyond the Easter period.
Motshekga said her department held a teleconference with provincial heads on Monday.
"We have agreed that we give a notice of the school curriculum. The June holidays will be reduced. We will also take three days in September. In the meantime, we felt it is a good break to intensify programmes that don't need physical contact " Motshekga said adding that these included the national learning programme.
According to Motshekga, over the holiday period children will also be sent home with worksheets and school work.
A number of schools have already been closed as parents seek to keep their young ones out of harm's way.
Meanwhile, Higher Education and Training Minster Blade Nzimande said graduation ceremonies at several institutions have been cancelled including contact lessons at various institutions.
Wits University in Johannesburg has already confirmed a case of Covid-19 while another has been reported at the University of Cape Town.
UCT has suspended classes as from and including Monday, 16 March 2020. Students must also vacate the residences within the next 72 hours.
Wits said on Sunday that a medical student who had been quarantined since last Wednesday tested positive for the coronavirus. The university has cancelled all contact classes for the Graduate Entry Medical Programme 1 - MBBCh 3.
All students in the affected student’s class have been instructed to go into self-quarantine for 14 days with immediate effect and the affected faculty was also personally reaching out to each of the 350 students who could be affected.