Covid-19

With the reduction in cases of Covid-19 in the country, the President has announced that there will be a relaxation in the national lockdown measures that are in place across the country. We have the details of the relaxed restrictions and the news lockdown level.

The Independent Examinations Board has released its National Senior Certificate Examination timetable for 2021. IEB Schools will not be writing exams on 1 November 2021 due to the local government elections being held. 

As many countries begin to implement restrictions on unvaccinated citizens, the thought of mandatory vaccinations grows stronger amongst both academic and medical professionals. With these sentiments around the vaccine being on the rise, the UCT Student Representative Council (SRC) has circulated a survey to gage UCT students’ thoughts on the matter.

Many applicants for the SASSA R350 grant are left with a status saying 'Pending' and don't know what this means or where their application is. Read more to find out what this means and also what happens to your application after you apply. 

During his "family meeting" on Sunday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa gave an update about the R350 grant. The second round of the grant kicked off in the first week of August.

On Sunday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa took to the podium as he announced changes to the National Lockdown regulations. These included a new curfew, lockdown level and a few other things so keep reading for all the details.

With COVID-19 being a prevalent part of our daily lives for the past year and a half, what initially seemed like an opportunity to get a bit of time off from school and work when the virus first reached South Africa’s doorsteps in March of 2020, has manifested into a deadly global pandemic that has seeped into all of our lives, forcing us to adjust our day-to-day routines to accommodate it.

The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa says overcrowding at schools is a major contributing factor to the rising numbers of Covid-19 school infections.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the South African economy, and with that, the education sector has been terribly hit by the unfortunate effects of the virus as well. The private school sector with regards to primary school, high school, and tertiary institutions has also felt these effects which, in turn, has put to question the sustainability of private schooling institutions.

Apply now for a 6 month job as a Covid-19 screener to work at schools in Gauteng. The contract starts from the 26th July and you will be paid a stipend of R3500 per month. So Apply Today!

The recent National Income Dynamics Study-Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) report has revealed record non-attendance rates for students between the ages of 7 and 17 since the pandemic hit South Africa in March of 2020.

Like any vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine can cause mild short-term side effects. Most reactions to the vaccine are mild and will go away on their own.

In an unscheduled media briefing on Saturday afternoon, the Health Department and scientists presented their latest research to the public that demonstrates the unwelcome arrival of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in South Africa. They went on to explain the impact of this on the medical outlook and how this will influence the vaccine programme.  This may also impact the discussions about whether a harder lockdown will be coming.

With the Covid-19 pandemic still rampant in 2021, both public and private High Schools have had to adapt their Matric curriculum programme in order to make up for time lost during the epidemic, with some IEB schools having to alter their teaching methods as a result.

Without in-person orientation programmes and on-campus lectures to aid first-year university entrants in their transition out of high school, some students have found it increasingly difficult to make new friends, remain academically motivated, and completely immerse themselves in the university lifestyle in 2021; whilst those who have had on-campus learning have complained of many other issues, including a lack of support from their institutions.

President Cyril Ramaphosa presented the presidential employment stimulus budget on Wednesday. Here, he revealed that over 500 000 people have directly benefited from the program since its launch eight months ago and that billions will now be allocated so that the programme can continue.

A school in the Free State province has suspended teaching and learning due to the rising Covid-19 cases. Parents have demanded that all learners be tested before they return to school. 

If you've applied for the SASSA R350 SRD grant and have been declined in the period February to April 2021, SASSA has now extended the appeals deadline. 

SASSA beneficiaries are unhappy with the way grants have been implemented lately, especially those who have been approved for the R350 Covid-19 SRD grant as they have been experiencing delays in receiving payments without any commuication from SASSA. 

The Easter weekend is days away and Government has had to make some changes to the lockdown restrictions, which includes an alcohol ban. Fears of a third wave are now emerging.