Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002)

Notices

Directions on a National Framework and Criteria for the management of the 2021 Academic Year in Public and Private Higher Education Institutions

2. Background and principles
Purchase cart Previous page Return to chapter overview Next page

 

2.1 The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the President declaring a state of disaster in South Africa. Government implemented a national lockdown from 27 March 2020. All post school education and training institutions advanced their recess periods from the 16 March 2020 and subsequently closed their campuses and learning centres and moved to emergency remote teaching, learning and assessment. Directions on the risk -adjusted strategy for public and private higher education institutions to return to campuses during the various levels of the 2020 lockdown were published in the Government Gazette on the 8 June 2020. Students and staff were able to return to campuses at different periods of the lockdown as guided by the directions. Public Higher Education Institutions (universities) and Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) successfully completed the 2020 academic year, utilising a range of different teaching and learning methodologies.

 

2.2 The Department supported university responses to the crisis through the allocation of a COVID-19 Responsiveness Grant (CRG) and monitored university responses through reports that were initially submitted fortnightly and then monthly by the universities.

 

2.3 South Africa moved to an Adjusted Risk Alert Level 3 lockdown on 28 December 2020 due to a second "wave" of infections, together with the emergence of a new more transmissible variant of SARS-CoV-2. Following this, the Director-General issued a communique to public higher education institutions on guidelines for completing the 2020 academic year. All institutions provided the Department with their planned dates for the start of the 2021 academic year and their plans for managing activities from January 2021 to March 2021 in line with the communique.

 

2.4 The Adjusted Risk Alert Level 3 lockdown was extended on 13 February 2021 and the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs published a further set of the Regulations in Regulation Gazette No. 1017, Regulations No. R 92 of 13 February 2021. Among others, the Regulations set "exclusions relating to education services as set out in the directions issued by the Cabinet members responsible for education". This means that the Minister "responsible for education" may stipulate exclusions to the Regulations pertaining to the relevant education sector. The lockdown was changed to Level I on 28 February 2021, in terms of Gazette No. 151 and Regulation No. 152.

 

2.5 It is now clear that the 2021 academic year will start under COVID-19 restrictions and that the pandemic will remain with us for some time and will pass though different intensity waves until the vaccination programme has been fully implemented.

 

2.6 These Directions are therefore intended as a national framework to assist institutions with the management of activities for the academic year and should be read together with the Regulations, which may be published from time to time, The Directions stipulate specific exclusions that are applicable to public universities and PHEIs.

 

2.7 The sector recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic will effect daily lives and workplaces for some time to come, and that the lockdown levels will change over time, depending on the trajectory of the pandemic. Eventually it will be necessary to return to normal teaching and learning and work. However, this must be done based 'on the understanding that the pandemic will be unpredictable; that further spikes of infection may follow; and that geographical differentiation may have to be considered as some areas may be declared hotspots.

 

2.8 Different methodologies will have to be explored to ensure that staff and students at higher education institutions (HEIs) are able to access campuses as safely as possible; that the mitigation of health and safety risks are built into the daily lives and work of all institutions (including living and teaching spaces); and that social solidarity must guide all of us in how we conduct ourselves in relation to others, to ensure that we all do whatever we can as a collective to minimise the spread of the virus. In this way we will be saving lives and ensuring a successful 2021 academic year.

 

2.9 Because of unique circumstances at each institution (locational and spatial arrangements, local lockdown restrictions, capacity issues, actual and variable numbers of students, etc.), a one-size-fits-all approach is not feasible. Therefore each institution must work out its own management plan for the 2021 academic year based on its context within the adjusted national lockdown rules framework, which may be adjusted from time to time.

 

2.10 The pandemic will continue to affect the world for the foreseeable future. It is necessary for institutions to do everything possible to prevent new infections and campus outbreaks that could put lives at risk and further disrupt the completion of the 2020 academic year, as well as the commencement and continuation of the 2021 academic year.

 

2.11 This document constitutes a national framework for institutions to develop plans for the safe integration of students and staff to campuses and student residences for the 2021 academic year and continued safe operations for the academic year.

 

2.12 Plans must be well communicated to staff and students and implemented at an appropriate operational level with oversight and monitoring on an institutional level.

 

2.13 The Department will continue to monitor public universities and provide support to ensure that the 2021 academic year is a success. The Department may also request plans from institutions at specific times to effectively fulfil its oversight and support roles in respect of the higher education system.