The coronavirus pandemic created an unprecedented challenge for teaching and learning, but it may have done us some favours as well. The lockdown brought much-needed attention to the importance of connectivity and digital access. Inequality has been a persistent reality in South Africa. The past six months have forced us to confront this head on.

The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a particularly stark light on the realities of online learning. The NIDS-CRAM Wave 2 Report on education stated that “learners in the earlier grades had the least access at about 30%, while grade 12 learners had the highest at about 50%. At worst this means that about 75% of learners in the foundation phase had no access to online learning, while only half of grade 12 learners had access”.

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