The South African Human Rights Commission (the SAHRC or the Commission) notes with interest an important research paper released on 16 June 2020 by academics Servaas van der Berg and Nic Spaull University of Stellenbosch.   

Van Der Berg & Spaull 2020 Counting the Cost – COVID-19, Children and Schooling (15 June 2020)

The research supports and extends the Commission’s analysis of the key Covid-19 implications on the right to a basic education.

Van der Berg and Spaull report that, on government’s current plans, by the end of Term 2 (7th of August 2020) South African children, depending on the grade they are in, will have lost between 25% and 57% of the school days scheduled as a result of COVID-19 school closures. 

According to the researchers, the social, economic and health costs associated with lockdown and school closures include:

Hunger and acute malnutrition which are likely to have been severely aggravated by the lockdown and school closures because of informal workers losing income and children no longer receiving free-school meals. Increases in acute malnutrition significantly raise the risk of children dying from pneumonia, diarrhoea and HIV/AIDS.

Increased risk of child abuse, mental health breakdowns with rising rates of depression and anxiety.

Children are at higher risk of being left home alone. There may be more than 2-million children aged 0-15 years without an older sibling (15 years+) or an adult caregiver to look after them.

Inequality is likely to increase since poorer learners and schools are least able to catch up. International research on the cumulative effects of learning losses and subsequent income losses indicate that many of the losses in both learning and income are long term in nature and can be measured five years after the event (Das et al., 2020).

On reviewing the evidence presented in this paper, the Commission will continue to weigh up the costs of school closures, particularly for those who are most vulnerable.

The activities undertaken by the SAHRC are aimed at achieving long-term and sustainable impact. It is envisioned that the initiatives will enable the SAHRC to have a substantial impact on monitoring and protecting rights.

Monitoring activities and/or engagement with stakeholders will focus on continued access to education for all learners in light of Covid-19 responses and recovery plans. The Commission shall place considerable focus on support for learners in Grades R to 6 while they are not at school.

The Commission shall also seek expertise and guidance on a number of related issues, particularly access to education during lockdown, the need to bridge the inequality / digital divide, ensuring inclusive learning, as well as an increased focus on Foundation Phase learning.

Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission