Dear Parents and Friends,
I trust that this newsletter finds you well.
This week some countries will be relaxing restrictions after the lockdown and doing so in a phased manner. With the pandemic we also have an infodemic – a deluge of information, some factual and some not. This underscores the importance of checking the veracity of information and not to just accept it as the truth.
The Covid-19 induced events of the last few weeks helped us to discover the more important things in life, like family, being neighbourly, love, etc. Also, the world is a quieter place as even some animals are seen venturing out into the quiet city spaces,people are conscious about health, designer clothes are not really that important and doctors and nurses are our new heroes.
Coronavirus is also changing the world of education and we are not yet at the end of it but it is not all doom and gloom. Aspects of virtual education will be here to stay and with more guided home-schooling and teaching adapting to remote technology and a more open society. The focus on sustainability, cultural integrity and social justice will sharpen, as well as the possibility for closer synergy and even integration between the independent and state sectors.
Eventually we will be returning to a ‘new normal’ in which artificial intelligence is embedded and a generational shift of resources (financial and in terms of leadership/governance) from the older to the younger. Amid all this we will continue to need great schools and great educationalists.
Furthermore, we expect some government announcements in the coming days regarding the status of state and federal lockdown restrictions. This will have an impact on JHC, one way or another, and once the information is received then we shall share accordingly.
In conclusion,
‘Never let a crisis go to waste for it is an opportunity to do
things you think you could not do before’; and, ‘No one succeeds without effort…those who succeed owe their success to perseverance’.
Keep safe and stay healthy until we meet again.
Yours truly,
Abraham. P. Swart
Principal