Considerations…

Week 18 of Lockdown begins…. How much longer will this go on?
Predictions are not my forte, but circumstances are such that I predict I’ll still be posting daily blog entries at Week 28.
That is, unless “something” happens to me….

News blues…

During his recent public address, President Ramaphosa announced that all public schools would "take a break" for the next four weeks from 27 July until 24 August. Grade 12 pupils and teachers would only take a week-long break and return on 1 August, and Grade 7 pupils would take a two-week break and return on 10 August. The academic year would be extended beyond 2020 and the details would be communicated in due course….
South Africa-style democracy ensued: tails wagging the dog?
South Africa’s Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga welcomes 'school break'… and calls on communities not to vandalise schools

Motshekga said, "Once again we appeal to members of the public to protect schools during the break to prevent theft and damage that was caused when schools were closed to the Covid-19. It remains one of our biggest concerns when schools are targeted. The burglaries and theft of food supplies and other expensive items defeat our efforts to provide mainly for the poor and vulnerable learners who are always the hardest hit."

The Western Cape government was considering its legal options to oppose the closure of schools….
Premier Alan Winde, speaking during a Friday "digicon" on the province's special adjustments budget, said, "The Western Cape … opposed the closing of schools."

"In my own experience, being on the ground specifically in highly vulnerable, high density areas where our hotspots were showing the numbers, I am convinced it's safer at schools than not."
The national school nutrition programme would also continue operating during the break. Winde called this "interesting", saying schools would still "actually stay open" to run these programmes which is "critical, specifically right now… So many months into this pandemic, with the real slowdown in the economy, food security is a massive issue. It links directly with our ability to get food efficiently to hotspot areas where starvation is a big thing among our young people and scholars."

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says the decision by the government to close schools is “regrettable and unjustifiable”.

“The decision means that by August 24 2020 over 10 million South African children, depending on the grade they are in, will have lost over 50 percent or 100 scheduled school days as a result of Covid-19 school closures.”

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) said it was pleased that Ramaphosa had responded “partially positively” to calls for schools to close.
The union, however, said the announcement lacked logic or an attempt to convince society with scientific statements.

“The president does not cite the work of epidemiologists who understand when we are reaching the peak of the pandemic, and what that means for decisions to close public schools and not private schools. The president acknowledges that there are differences of opinions without taking the country into his confidence.” 

The Educators Union of SA (Eusa) said while it welcomed the decision to close schools, it said the plan on how schools would reopen lacked “scientific reasoning”.

“We maintain our call that all schools should close until it is safe to reopen. It is sad that we come to this victory [closure of schools] when teachers and learners have already died from the virus and thousands have got infected while at work,” the union said.
The union said the issue of private schools not closing exposed inequalities within the education system.

The Governing Body Foundation noted the announcement with “reservation”.

“We appreciate that the minister consulted widely with stakeholders … to assist her in preparing a report for the president and cabinet.”
“Pressure has been exerted by the teacher unions, supported by some civil society groupings, to close schools for the reasons they advanced, and they have prevailed.
“However, the Governing Body Foundation, along with other stakeholders such as the South African Council for Human Rights, education and economic researchers, and medical and scientific organisations, believed that children in South Africa would be better served if schools remained open, provided they could do so safely.”

Gauteng education department head Edward Mosuwe said at the Gauteng Provincial Command Council briefing "… while we take a break we are going to provide nutrition for learners who qualify for school nutrition programme. … since the re-phasing in of grades we started with 183 000 of the 600 000 that were qualifying for nutrition".
However, on average, the programme covers 1.1 million pupils daily.
The programme has been extended to cover all pupils not back at school yet, in line with a court order. "Learners who are not back yet at school have been asked to bring their own containers from home, own face mask and wear their school uniform to be easily recognisable".

In the US, the resurgence of infections and the faltering economy has ignited debate about how to proceed with the new school year. Republicans favor opening schools so that parents can return to work, stimulate the economy, and benefit Trump’s dwindling re-election prospects. As in all things Trump, chaos reigns:

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday that the state will delay in-person learning through at least Labor Day as cases break records in the state.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said his state will introduce a plan to reopen schools Tuesday. "Our kids need to be in school because kids not only academically are suffering, emotionally, mental health. ... working families need for their children to be in school so they can continue to work. There's a lot of reasons why schools can be and should be open. So long as we do that in a way that protects teachers and protects students at the same time we believe we can do," Lee said.

New guidance from the CDC is strongly in favor of sending students back to the classroom, saying that available evidence shows that coronavirus does not possess as great a risk to children. With the services and instruction offered in school, the CDC guidance said virtual learning can be a disadvantage to American students. "It can lead to severe learning loss, and the need for in-person instruction is particularly important for students with heightened behavioral needs," the CDC statement said.

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The Lincoln Project: Maxwell  (0:55 mins)
Brief levity: rap-style song, Cognitively there (1:44

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Warmed by the winter sun, I find sitting in the garden and watching monkeys cavort allows moments of peace and serenity amid turmoil.
I’m experiencing increasing physical stress – aching jaw from clenching while asleep, tension aches in my neck, shoulders, and back muscles – brought on by security concerns: compromises with my own physical safety and breeches of security from internal actors that my mother refuses to acknowledge.
Staying busy is essential.
The comfort of ritual.
This being my first winter in the Midlands – 3,400 ft elevation – I’ve no experience with precipitous temperature drops overnight.
Since many plants, including indigenous, succumbed to the unexpectedly severe frost in June, I’ve protected young succulents by covering them every evening – and uncovering them every morning.
A handful of small succulents – and all vegetable seedlings - thrive on this treatment.
Larger plants must fend for themselves.
Indigenous plants tells a story.
Consider the aloe, how it freezes.

Aloe  garden - May 2020 - large aloe to the right
Click to enlarge 

Early July after overnight freezing
Click to enlarge

July 22, 2020
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