ALLEN THOMPSON
INYUNYANA yothisha, iNatu, inethemba lokuthi ikusasa labafundi baseNingizimu Afrika lizohlengeka njengoba izikole sekuphele inyanga zivaliwe ngenxa yokuhlasela kwegciwane iCovid-19 kuleli.
Abazali nomphakathi mabangethuki ngoba isikhathi sokufunda esilahlekile sisengaphansi kwesalahleka ngo-2007 lapho okwakunesiteleka sothisha nazo zonke izisebenzi zikahulumeni esadonsa cishe izinsuku eziwu-30.
Abazali badidwa wukuthi ukuvalwa thaqa kwezwe kuqondane nokuvalwa kwezikole, zivalela amaholide ePhasika.
Izikole bekufanele zivalwe ngomhla ka-20 kuNdasa (March) zize zivulwe ngomhla ka-31 kuwona, kanti i-lockdown iqale ngo-mhla ka-26 kuNdasa yalulelwa umhla ka-30 kuMbasa (April).
Lokhu kusho ukuthi izinsuku ezizolahleka zingaphansi kuka-20 (okwamanje) okuyisikhathi othisha abangakwazi ukuza nezinhlelo zokuqinisekisa ukuthi abantwana bafundiswa konke okudingeka bakufunde ukuze bezokwazi ukubhekana nokuhlolwa kokuphela konyaka.
SiyiNatu sithi abazali mabangethuki, njengoba othisha bakwazi ukuhlenga ikusasa labafundi ngo-2007 nakulokhu kuzokwenzeka.
Abafundi nothisha bakwazi ukusebenza ngokuzimisela okukhulu kangangokuthi iningi labafundi laphumelela ngamalengiso kanti ku-matric kwaphasa u-65,2%.
Lokhu kukhomba ngokusobala ukuthi abafandi bayakwazi ukuzinikela kangcono uma benovalo lokuthi kungenzeka baphinde ibanga ngenxa yesikhathi esila-hlekile.
Imiphumela yango-2007 iwubufakazi bokuthi othisha banalo ikhono lokuza nezindlela zokufundisa ukuzama ukuvala isikhathi esilahlekile njengoba le miphumela yaba ngcono kuneyango- 2005 nango-2006 lapho eka-matric yehla ngo-2,4% (2005) nango-1,8% ngo-2006 yize zazingekho iziteleka nokuphazamiseka okufuze okwango-2007.
Mningi umsebenzi obusuwenziwe ukukhava isilabhasi.
Othisha bangena ekuseni kakhulu baphume ntambama. Kwezinye izikole vele bekufundwa nangezimpelasonto nangamaholide, ngakho mningi umsebenzi obusuwenziwe.
Uma kungandiswa amahora okusebenza ngosuku (kungenwe ekuseni kakhulu kuphinde kufundwe ntambama) noma kufundiswe ngezimpelasonto, ungaba khona umehluko.
Siyangabaza ukuvumelana nalaba abathi kufuneka kuqedwe ngamaholide kaNhlangulana (June) okungamasonto amathathu ngenxa yemibono yosolwazi bezempilo abakubeke ngokusobala ukuthi okukhulu kuseza njengoba lesi sifo simandla ebusika uma kubanda.
I-Natu ngeke ivume ukunikela ngempilo yezingane nezisebenzi ebusika.
Nokho ingavumelana nomnyango ngokusebenzisa amaholide angoMandulo (September) ukuzama ukuqeda umsebenzi wonyaka.
I-Natu ikhuthaza abazali ukugqugquzela abafundi babuyekeze umsebenzi wabo nokuthi laba bafundi abathunyelelwa umsebenzi ngothisha babo ngomakhalekhukwini kufuneka babathengele i-data bezokwazi ukuxhumana nothisha babo.
Kubalulekile ukuba abazali bakhuthaze abafundi ukulalela nasemisakazweni izinhlelo zezemfundo baphinde babukele omabonakude njengoba zikhona nakhona lezi zinhlelo zokubasiza ezifundweni zabo.
Kuyasikhathaza nokubona abafundi bewuvanzi emigwaqweni ngalesi sikhathi se-lockdown, ikakhulukazi emalokishini nasezindaweni ezisemakhaya.
Inkinga ezokuba khona wukuthi uma sekuvulwa izikole, laba bafundi bazothelela abanye aba-fundi nothisha abebezigcine kahle behlezi ezindlini, bethobele imithetho yezwe.
Othisha bayazama ukuxhumana nabafundi njengoba kuvaliwe futhi bazokhona ukuqhamuka namasu azosiza abafundi uma sekuvulwe izikole ngakho kufanele abazali namalungu omphakathi balekelele ngokukhuthaza abafundi ukuba bahlale endlini ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuze baphephe futhi bangezi nokufa ezikoleni njengoba sizobe sesingekho isikhathi sokugula uma sekuvuliwe.
Silindele ukuba othisha nabafundi bathobele umthetho, bazigcine kahle, bageze izandla ngaso sonke isikhathi baphinde bahlale ezindlini kulesi sikhathi sokugonqa.
U-Allen Thompson
UNGUMENGAMELI weNatu
