Public Universities with a Public Conscience: A Proposed Plan for a Social Pedagogy Alternative in the Time of Pandemic

ENDORSE OUR CALL FOR SOLIDARITY SOLIDARITY WITH STUDENTS.

 

Statement prepared through a national discussion amongst concerned academics, supported and endorsed by the C19 Post Education Working Group of the People’s Coalition.

 

ABSTRACT

● Our contextual analysis shows that the current unilateral implementation of online teaching and learning by education institutions will result in an academic disaster and will exacerbate the COVID-19 humanitarian disaster. Neither teaching staff nor students possess the means to make this shift right now. “Going online” immediately will simply widen existing inequalities and make meaningful learning impossible for the vast majority of students.

● We propose a different approach: Social Pedagogy. This approach is consultative, inclusive, and sensitive to the contexts of students, teachers and their communities. It works toward a mutually supportive framework that will carry our pedagogic work through the current crisis, into a period of just recovery, and a more equitable future.

● We are guided by four principles:

– Inclusivity and participation

– Equity and Equality

– Transformation and decolonisation

– Academic development and progress with integrity

● Key requirements include: immediate cessation of formal online curriculum roll-out; state-level intervention in resourcing and infrastructure development; academic, financial and accommodation protections for students; and labour protections for teaching staff

● We propose a model for structuring the academic year in three phases, with timelines that take into account realistic capacity and provision of resources, as well as the unfolding of the pandemic and associated social restrictions:

– Phase One: Dialogue with students, teachers and communities to collaboratively map the context, and to appropriately adapt curricula and develop pedagogic strategies for the delivery of a socially just programme.

– Phase Two: Roll-out of a supportive, structured but flexible learning process that employs (a) subject-specific knowledge drawing on existing curricula, (b) adapted teaching materials that engage with the material and social effects of the current crisis and (c) formative assessments.

– Phase Three: Return to campus-based teaching when deemed safe. Feed the material and experience of Phase One and Two into the formal curriculum. Continue with formative assessments and restructure summative assessments for fairness and academic integrity.

Our proposal has received more than a thousand endorsements from individuals in formal and informal educational spaces.

 

SPOKESPERSONS

Thobani Zikalala, concerned students, UKZN, Mobile/WhatsApp: +27 74 246 7848

Dr Fikile Vilakazi, concerned academic, UKZN, Mobile/WhatsApp: +27 83 581 6161

Dr Saajidha Sader, concerned academic, UKZN, Mobile/WhatsApp: +27 72 979 8477

Dr Asanda Benya, concerned academic, UCT, Mobile/WhatsApp: +27 83 453 9408

Dr Khethi, concerned teaching worker, TVET perspective, Mobile/WhatsApp, +27 73 780 8585

 

PRESS BRIEFING ZOOMING DETAILS

CONCERNED ACADEMICS, TEACHING WORKERS AND STUDENTS are inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: POST SCHOOL EDUCATION PRESS BRIEFING FROM CONCERNED TEACHING

WORKERS AND STUDENTS

Time: Apr 29, 2020 12:00 PM Johannesburg

Join Zoom Meeting

https://ukzn.zoom.us/j/93932315486

Meeting ID: 939 3231 5486

 

SOCIAL MEDIA STORM, 29 April 2020

We are also inviting you to join our social media storm campaign, rolling from today the 29th of

April 2020. See social media handles below

Hashtag: #noONEleftbehindtoLEARNandTEACH-EQUITYfirst

Handles to tag: @ministerdrblad1 @HigherEduGovZA @angie_motshekga @DBE_SA

@PresidencyZA @CityPress @mailandguardian @IOL

 

GUIDELINES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA STORM CAMPAIGN: MAKE YOUR MESSAGE VISIBLE

AND FELT THROUGH THE FOLLOWING CHANNELS. TAKE SELFIES THAT CARRY YOUR

KEY, CLEAR MESSAGE OF WHAT YOU ARE DEMANDING.

Channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked-in

(i) Note that Instagram requires pics attached to messaging.

(ii) Facebook is a medium for the 37 – 55 yo age group while Instagram has a larger millennial

audience so be mindful of where you post.

(iii) Alerts and posts get traction when an image accompanies it – so again be mindful of making

sure a pic introduces your post.

(iv) Linked-in is great to add tags which get more traction and profiling across borders and

sectors

 

READ OUR DETAILED PROPOSED NATIONAL PLAN FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

DURING A PANDEMIC

Please read our detailed proposed national plan for teaching and learning here:

https://bit.ly/public-universities-plan . If you support it, indicate your endorsement in the form

below. Please also share your contact details as well as comments and recommendations for

the process going forward, so that we may plot this course together.

A list of endorsements to date can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/2yrV2qA

KINDLY ENDORSE OUR CALL FOR SOLIDARITY SOLIDARITY WITH STUDENTS. WE

HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM COVID19 RELATED

COMPLICATIONS, POSSIBLY DEATH. CLICK LINK HERE TO ENDORSE OUR CALL FOR

SOLIDARITY WITH STUDENTS HERE:

https://c19peoplescoalition.org.za/student-solidarity/ . THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.