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Volume 16, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 1751-1917
  • E-ISSN: 1751-1925

Abstract

Undoubtedly, the global COVID-19 pandemic ruptured life as we knew it. Globally, citizens’ freedom of movement, socialization needs and economic activity ground to a halt as governments around the world introduced stringent measures in response to the ravaging spread of the virus. In South Africa, a national lockdown was announced in March 2020, and the campuses of institutions of higher learning became lifeless and barren. The aftermath of the pandemic will surely be a time of mourning when considering losses in terms of life and socio-economic well-being. Despite these devastating realities, this moment could also be one of promise and hope. Considering commonplace resistance to change, the pandemic is forcing leaders and citizens to reflect on habitual behaviour and decisions. This period in time could become a moment of true transformation that could meaningfully address matters of inequality and injustice. All sectors and industries have to think anew about operational matters, inclusive of the higher education sector. South African higher education residential institutions were not prepared for the sudden transition from face-to-face lecturing to online teaching; from invigilated examinations to take-home online assessment. Further, the South African educational landscape is marred with disparity between the previously disadvantaged and advantaged institutions. These remnant realties from the country’s apartheid past continue to find expression in signifiers of inequality and found poignant expression in measurables such as students’ access to devices, data and a conducive learning environment. This inequality, compounded by the current pandemic, warrants a particular response from the educator to ensure meaningful education continues. In this contribution, we argue that educators need to assume a different role and position, which demands more than merely transitioning to online teaching platforms. The time is now for the educator in becoming to lead vulnerably in the nurturing of confidence through connection and to demonstrate equality in teaching and learning.

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2021-06-01
2024-05-02
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): communicative care; connection; educator; equality; listening; pedagogy; vulnerable leadership

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