The Department of Higher Education said that COVID-19 has had a varying impact on institutions and that it was for this reason that the completion of the academic year would happen at different times for each university.
Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Blade Nzimande on 9 June 2020 briefed the media in Pretoria on the state of readiness for the phased return of students at universities and TVET colleges in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Picture: @GovernmentZA/Twitter
CAPE TOWN – The completion of the academic year is becoming more likely.
This is according to the Department of Higher Education and Training that on Friday briefed parliamentarians.
However, the department said that the risk of COVID-19 was still there and students still needed to practice caution.
The Department of Higher Education said that COVID-19 has had a varying impact on institutions.
Deputy Director-General Dr Diane Parker said that it was for this reason that the completion of the academic year would happen at different times for each university.
“There are now universities that are considered to be high-risk, in other words, we are going into a situation now where we are seeing the successful completion of the academic year across all institutions as being more and more likely.”
Minister Blade Nzimande has acknowledged the progress, but he warned that the risk of COVID-19 was still high.
“I must say that having reached level one that allowed us to admit the last group of students, especially at university, that we must be careful that we don’t lower the guard. Already, I will be receiving the information about what seems to be an outbreak of the virus at the University of Fort Hare.”
