Tag Archives: pandemic

Many parents, concerned about the quality of education being impacted by on-again, off-again schooling, have started looking at online options for their children. The challenges are indeed enormous but perhaps what is missing from the online versus on-campus schooling debate is the case for in person education. School is one …

COVID-19 infection numbers are on the rise again, which means that more stringent lockdown regulations could follow. This might include the closure of schools, and the return of more regular remote learning again.  In fact, several schools have already taken the step to start closing partially or fully amid community …

As many South Africans prepare for Mother’s Day celebrations this coming weekend, one of the country’s leading corporate wellness experts takes a serious look at what working mothers and women in general have sacrificed this past year.  “During lockdown, women’s responsibilities as primary caretakers in the home increased over and …

Reflecting on the last 365 days of lockdown in South Africa, it’s clear that education has undergone immense changes that will forever alter the way that our children learn. As the country’s largest homeschooling provider, we at Impaq have noticed how more families are increasingly viewing homeschooling as an appealing …

The learners and teachers of transitional phase grades (R, 3 7 and 12) faced unprecedented challenges this past year as schools had closed down across the country in the wake of the deadly Covid-19 virus. These grades are unique in that they are meant to prepare students for a more advanced …

There has been a lot of debate around small children and the role they play in the spread of Covid-19. With earlier studies suggesting that children do not contribute much to the spread of coronavirus, new studies are now showing that children could be capable of spreading infection. According to …

Amid the explosion in online or distance learning offerings at both basic, higher and further education levels following the 2020 Covid lockdowns, education experts have urged parents and prospective students to carefully consider an institution and its programmes before signing up for this mode of learning. “It is absolutely crucial …

Evidence suggests that there has been an increase in maternal and perinatal mortality rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown. During this time, healthcare services in metropolitan areas have been inundated by the number of COVID-19 infections taking away the emergency care for mothers in labour. The …

With South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign being placed on hold for now, the country must do everything within its power to find a solution, fast. Vaccinating as many people as quickly as possible will not just prevent more South Africans from getting sick, dying, and infecting others; it is also …

Parents across South Africa are worried about their children and their possible exposure to the coronavirus, amidst a second wave of the virus moving through the country and the start of the new school year being delayed later this month (February). “Teaching children the importance of good personal hygiene is …

Many parents may be feeling mixed emotions given the recent news that start of the school term has been delayed until 15 February due to the increased rate of COVID-19 infections and the onset of the second wave. Parents juggling full-time work may be experiencing a sense of frustration or …

A mother whose baby was delivered by emergency C-section at only 25 weeks while she was unconscious and on ventilator support for COVID-19, was overjoyed to meet her baby boy for the first time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Netcare N1 City Hospital in Goodwood, Cape Town.  …

Underpinning South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosas’s words during his ‘family’ meeting on 28th December, the organisers of South African Music Week (SAMW), have today launched a music video – entitled ‘Corona’ – which is a collaboration by a number of international music artists who have used their craft to create an …

It’s so important to always keep your kids busy and active during holidays, however it starts getting really tricky when there is a lockdown due to a worldwide pandemic when activities outside the home are limited by rules or perhaps you want to rather stay home and play it safe …

We’ve had a year like no other, and while the shadow of the pandemic still looms over the world, South Africans can breathe a sigh of some relief, that it is, at least, the summer holiday season.  A good dose of festive cheer has rarely felt so crucial.  The pandemic …

The hard lockdown has been a missed opportunity for South Africa to turn the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) into one that successfully protects survivors, adequately deals with perpetrators, and prevents abuse from happening in the first place, women’s rights activists say. Violence against women and girls: it is a …

New global research commissioned by Kaspersky of 8,000 SMB workers across multiple industries has revealed that three quarters of employees (78%) in South Africa want to rethink pre-COVID-19 ways of working. Instead of returning to business as usual, workers are now shaping a future of business on their terms, whether that’s spending …

COVID-19, a respiratory disease, has been a particularly stressful time for parents to young children. This is because the symptoms of the virus, which includes a tight chest, coughing and shortness of breath, can easily be confused with other respiratory viruses. One such virus, and one that parents need to …