In recent months, South Africa, has been ravaged by Covid-19. The impact to date, though not yet fully understood, has been catastrophic in terms of loss of life and economic hardship. This crisis has impacted our country at a time when we are still reeling from the collective trauma of our past. Stated differently, while the necessary healing for our nation is still in process, Covid has exacerbated this pre-existing and unresolved wounding.
Poverty, unemployment, hunger, and violence have all increased during the Covid crisis. Most recently, the NIDS CRAM Wave 5 2021 report has painted a grim picture of how Covid-19 has impacted the educational sector. Particularly concerning is the finding that 753 371 children have dropped out of school since the start of the pandemic, a 300% percent increase from a year ago.
These cumulative effects, if left unaddressed, will continue to destroy, and undermine the fabric of society and will wreak long term damage on the collective psyche of our people. Already, we are seeing an unprecedented increase in mental health challenges in our schools, with anxiety, depression, and a sense of being overwhelmed emerging as serious challenges to mental wellbeing. The challenge facing us as a country is profound: how can the public, private and civil society sectors best collaborate to augment their efforts to address the impact of Covid-19 and related crises on our educational system, to bring about healing, and to shift the educational sector.
This webinar, hosted by the Mental Wellness Initiative (MWI) and supported by the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the National Educational Collaboration Trust (NECT), JET Education Services and the Centre for Mental Wellness and Leadership (CMWL), inter alia, will address this important question.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86050869604
Meeting ID: 860 5086 9604
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc8gsahMli
