Abstract
This study examines the experiences of teaching and learning during the Covid 19 pandemic at Thaba-Jabula Secondary School in Soweto, South Africa. The legacy of apartheid, particularly the Bantu Education Act of 1953, has left lasting inequalities and injustices in the South African education system, resulting in unequal access and significant challenges. The Covid 19 pandemic further disrupted education in 2020, necessitating a shift from traditional face-to-face teaching to online and blended learning methods. This research study sought to investigate how these shifts impacted the teaching and learning experiences at Thaba-Jabula Secondary School.
The findings reveal that while the school attempted to adopt online and blended learning approaches, there many obstacles - including resource shortages, curriculum issues, and the necessity of rotational classes which hindered effective teaching and learning. Subsequently, these challenges negatively affected assessments, academic performance, and overall educational outcomes. This study contributes to the understanding of the complex dynamics in schools during the pandemic and offers insights for improving educational resilience in similar contexts.
Keywords: Coronavirus (Covid 19); Teaching and Learning in schools; Apartheid education; Technologies in schools; Online and Remote Learning; Blended teaching and learning; Curriculum issues; Inequalities; Injustices in schools and Socio-economic issues.