Learners will return to the classroom in phases as of June 2020 as schools reopen in line with government regulations. But learners are expected to face huge educational losses over the next few months due to disruptions from COVID-19. Steve Thobela, Novus Print: Executive – South, a division of Novus Holdings, discusses how paper-based learning can help learners get back on their feet.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on our economy, small and large businesses alike, and individual home-life. Tragically, learners will not escape unscathed as disruptions to normal school life take hold: These come in the form of lost teaching days; a lack of social interaction and extra-curricular based learning; learners, parents and schools having to adapt to new, alternative methods of learning not classroom-based; and possibly a high failure rate at the end of the 2020 academic year. There can be no doubt that this will have far-reaching consequences on our learners, the social and economic effects of which may be felt for years to come.
Research published by The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) shows that while everybody will experience learning losses, the educational outcomes for the poor will be worse. This is because e-learning, which many have adopted in response to the need for social distancing, has worsened the education gap for low-income households. Wealthier households have access to more resources, such as internet connectivity and online-learning tools, which is in stark contrast to poorer households where many children do not have digital devices, stable connectivity, nor access to online-based learning resources, and lack basic services like electricity and sanitation.
Urgency must therefore be applied in finding the best tools in the coming months to lessen the expected losses on learners. Paper-based learning, in the form of workbooks, textbooks and reading books, are extremely powerful and effective tools to help learners, especially those in poorer households who have been disadvantaged by COVID-19, land on their feet more quickly. Authorities, parents, educators and communities must therefore prioritise books as learning materials – both in the classroom and at home – in the coming months.
Books in all their forms are fundamental to foundation phase learning. Frustrated parents who have been juggling home schooling with work should take a step back and focus on the basics and remember that reading to younger children, even if it is one story per day, is in itself a form of learning. Parents who read to children or ensure that there are books in the home foster a love for reading in children from an early age. This has been supported by government during the pandemic, with authorities encouraging parents to promote reading as a daily activity in their homes. Reading is a critical life skill that can lead to improved literacy rates and go a far way in alleviating the socio-economic issues that the country faces. This is a why book drives (whether donation based or other) for underprivileged homes with young, school-going children is one way that communities and corporates post-COVID-19 can support learners to reach educational outcomes in 2020.
Interestingly, data shows that there has been an uplift in children’s books during the pandemic in the USA, with sales on activity books surging up 128%, study aids 235% and school and education titles up 143%. People realise that these books, which are simple, relatively cheap, and require little facilitation from parents, have huge learning (as well as play) value.
As the pandemic took hold, countries around the world distributed paper-based packs to learners filled with worksheets to ensure that they do not fall behind. And, while many are making use of e-learning, they still emphasise the importance of making resources available on paper so that all learners are given a fair chance. This is because young children especially need a book-based approach to help with learning, more so than older children who are often digitally savvy, resourceful and require little facilitation from parents or teachers. When it comes to homework both in and out the classroom, workbooks are proven to be effective learning materials in the South African context, especially for low-fee schools. These books, aimed at improving literacy and numeracy skills of learners, are made up of 128 easy-to-follow and colourful worksheets for listening, reading and writing skills. Learners from Grade 1 to 9 receive two workbooks per subject. They provide every learner with worksheets to practice the language and numeracy skills they have been taught.
As workbooks and worksheets provide all children – regardless whether rich or poor – an equal and fair chance of learning, the timeous delivery of workbooks post-COVID-19 must be prioritised. As a business, we are proud to play our part in ensuring that more than 9-million pupils continue to get their share of 60-million workbooks in South Africa, despite the COVID-19 disruptions. We have a first-time delivery success rate of 99,99% to more than 23 000 public schools – a remarkable track record given the scale of the task.
There is no doubt that COVID-19 will leave us forever changed. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the impact on our most vulnerable learners is lessened. It is my hope that, as we move to an easing of restrictions and a gradual returning to a more normal way of life, more people realise the true power of books and paper-based learning in breaking down barriers.
