Vital lesson: Involve parents in children’s learning!

And after Covid-19 we should also work together and  help promote our local tourist attractions, writes Lihle Dlamini, a Grade 7 learner at Advent Hope Christian School near Hlhuhluwe in Kwazulu-Natal

Wearing a face mask and washing hands while singing Happy Birthday two times. What a world? Life completely changed because of this “house arrest!”, but nevertheless, even the darkest night will end, the sun will rise, so shall coronavirus go away.

The lockdown started when the President announced that citizens should stay at home to flatten the Covid-19 curve. It was bad. I was not able to meet my friends and my classmates. I never had the chance to eat my favourite food due to a cut in budget – and I missed going to school very much.

Alert levels

The President imposed rules and alert levels to us. The worst level out of all was level 5. It was very strict as the restaurants were closed. Most fancy places such as KFC, hotels and churches were closed. Schools were also closed but now they have reopened.

The President further imposed rules like practicing social distance, wearing a face mask and washing hands for 20 seconds or  while singing Happy Birthday two times. What a world?

A lot of things have changed since the lockdown. I don’t think I will be able to wear a mask when I am required to, but mostly, I don’t think I will be able to do social distancing at school.

Brighter days

But the virus won’t stay forever! One day it will be gone. We shall say goodbye to it, but we don’t know when.

Then we will have not have practice social distance. Isolation and quarantining will be a thing of the past.

Instead we will work hand in glove with each other to improve our economy. Isolation and quarantining should be a thing of the past. After Covid-19 we should work together and  help promote our local tourist attractions. Then we will be able to tell other people about our own country.

Medical research

On finding a cure for Covid-19, our doctors and scientists should work ahead of pandemics. They should never stop researching.

They should develop machines that can foretell dangers that are about to occur. If we have such technology in future, we are going to predict pandemics such as Covid-19 in time. As a result, we would avoid losing people to such diseases.

Covid-19 also taught us to use technology to teach and learn. In future we should put this into practice and also involve our parents in children’s learning. – Lihle Dlamini, Advent Hope Christian School

• This is a very slightly edited version of Lihle Dlamini’s entry to Roving Reporters Life After Covid-19: The Future We Want writing competition. Click here to read more shortlisted entries submitted by various schools in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. 

For adjudicators’ reference: Entrant 20_Lihle Dlamini

 

LIFE AFTER COVID-19 – THE FUTURE WE WANT

After the Covid-19 pandemic, will everything return to how it was before – or will we change how we live in the future? Will we realise the need to make this world a better place, both for people and for nature?

These are the key questions in Roving Reporters’ journalism-themed writing project, Life After Covid-19 – The Future We Want, catering the school learners in South Africa from from Grade 7 upwards.

The competition forms part of a broader reporting project supported by Super Save and Media Development and Diversity Agency.

“We are encouraging high school children to document their experiences of the pandemic and reflect on how they would like to see the world change for the better,” said Roving Reporters director Fred Kockott. “Reflection is a first step to change, and this project gives learners a voice and an opportunity to have some agency in how their future unfolds.”

We plan to run the competition through to the end of the school year, with a top entry published every fortnight.

Schools that wish to submit entries should click here to access the entry forms and writing guide to share with learners who wish to take part.

We encourage schools to use the writing exercise in ways that fit in with the Life Sciences, Life Orientation and English curricula.

For further information contact Fred Kockott on 083 277 8907 or email fredk@rovingreporters.co.za

Now read: Pandemic poet chimes with the times: We fell asleep in one world and awoke in another