The information provided below was submitted as at 2020-06-01 14:33:20 by the Department of Higher Education and Training of South Africa in responding to the AU Survey of Member States on Education Sector Response to COVID-19. The information is solely for experience sharing purposes and not to be used for other purposes without express permission of the African Union Commission.
| Country | South Africa |
| Ministry | Department of Higher Education and Training |
| Education level handled by the Ministry | Tertiary Education, TVET |
| Number of Schools in Tertiary | 26 |
| Number of Schools in TVET | 50 |
| Does the Ministry have a COVID-19 response plan? | Yes |
| Objectives and Priorities of the COVID-19 response plan | There are different plans (1) for the university sector which has been negotiated with the vice chancellors of universities; (2) for the TVET colleges sector which has been discussed with the college principals; and (3) Higher Health Guide to Post-School Education and Training sector for the institution's compliance with COVID-19 health protocols. |
| Percentage estimate of Schools Closed | 90-100 |
| Methods for the provision of Distance/Virtual Education | Interaction through WhatsApp/Telegram or other social messaging applications between students and teachers, Online lessons via public-private partnership led e-learning portal. |
| Partners which are supporting the Ministry of Education to respond to COVID-19 | Others, Several local businesses and network service providers |
| Is there a plan for reopening schools? | Yes |
| Does the reopening plan include a back to School campaign? | No |
| Does the reopening plan include catch-up strategies for the school calendar and or curriculum? | No |
| Objectives and priorities of the plan to reopen Schools | Save lives and save the academic year. The plan is to return to face-to-face teaching and learning only when it is safe to do so. |
| Is there a separate strategy/strategies for girls to catch up on their education due to the impact of COVID-19? | No |
| Challenges that have been encountered by the Ministry while responding to COVID-19 | Availability of Virtual Learning Technology Hardware and Infrastructure, Availability of Virtual Learning Software and learning platform, Internet Connectivity to support deployment Virtual Learning platforms, Technical capacity gaps for Virtual/Distance Education Support Personnel, Financing gaps. |
| Date Submitted | 01-06-2020 |
If you are interested in contacting the Ministry for further information, please contect This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please note that any secondary use of this data is not allowed without seeking express permission of the African Union Commission.