COVID-19 Exacerbating Learning Inequalities – Study

COVID-19 has both challenged and exposed the inequalities in learning and education.

A Telkom Foundation study shows that the pandemic is having a severe effect on the learning of crucial subjects such as maths and science.

“Part of the problem we [Telkom Foundation] picked up when we started with this investment in education is that by the time a learner comes to Grade 8 they already have foundational deficiencies,” Foundation CEO Sarah Mthintso said on eNCA.

“They struggle with content they would have missed in intermediate [content] so by the time they get to high school they already are battling. COVID has not made the situation any easier.

“With COVID, children have missed out on contact classes, they have missed out on learning dosage so they have not been able to catch up and therefore the impact of COVID has been quite huge.”