1
00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,400
Speaker 1: Now I feel I need to start with full disclosure.

2
00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:06,040
Speaker 1: I have zero experience with online schooling, so this is

3
00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:08,920
Speaker 1: a space that is completely unknown to me. But I

4
00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,520
Speaker 1: do know a number of parents have embraced this option,

5
00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,440
Speaker 1: either because the particular learning model suits their particular child,

6
00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,600
Speaker 1: or in many cases, because they simply couldn't get into

7
00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,520
Speaker 1: the physical school they had hoped to send their child to.

8
00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:23,640
Speaker 1: For some parents, it's a choice that's been made out

9
00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:28,240
Speaker 1: of necessity. But whatever the reason for going the online route,

10
00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:30,680
Speaker 1: there has definitely been a surge in the number of

11
00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,839
Speaker 1: pupils navigating their schooling online, and I think particularly so

12
00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,240
Speaker 1: since COVID so I was interested to receive an email

13
00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,919
Speaker 1: this morning which highlighted one of the challenges that I

14
00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:43,000
Speaker 1: had simply never thought about before. Where do these students

15
00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,800
Speaker 1: go to write their final exams? We're talking about the

16
00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:52,120
Speaker 1: year end metric exams. Whether you are writing IEB, the NSC,

17
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,200
Speaker 1: one of the other exam curricula, etc. You need to

18
00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:58,880
Speaker 1: do so in a controlled environment that is very carefully

19
00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:03,120
Speaker 1: in vigilated under specific exam regulations. And where do you

20
00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,600
Speaker 1: do that if you don't have a physical school that

21
00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,039
Speaker 1: has registered you to write? Now we heard from a

22
00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:09,679
Speaker 1: parent of a learner this morning who is going to

23
00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:14,080
Speaker 1: be writing IEB exams through TENEO online school later this year,

24
00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,920
Speaker 1: and her worry was that they had been offered very

25
00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,399
Speaker 1: limited choice of exam venues. They were sent an email

26
00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,560
Speaker 1: on Tuesday saying these are your four options. Please let

27
00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,600
Speaker 1: us know by Friday which one you want, And the

28
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,640
Speaker 1: person in this case wrote to me to say none

29
00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,120
Speaker 1: of those venues are any less than fifty kilometers from

30
00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,680
Speaker 1: where we live. Three of the four choices are clustered

31
00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,199
Speaker 1: in the northern part of the city and the Winelands.

32
00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,119
Speaker 1: The fourth is in the southern Cape, And in other words,

33
00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,520
Speaker 1: there is nothing that is readily accessible for learners in

34
00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,160
Speaker 1: the southern suburbs, in the South Peninsula, along the Atlantic seaboard,

35
00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,520
Speaker 1: or in the CBD area. She chosen not to join

36
00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,120
Speaker 1: us because I think she is concerned about potential blowback

37
00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,280
Speaker 1: on her child, and obviously we don't want that to

38
00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,480
Speaker 1: be a factor that they have to work worry about.

39
00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,800
Speaker 1: So I'm very happy to simply summarize what she told

40
00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,760
Speaker 1: us today and share with you a quote from the

41
00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,440
Speaker 1: email to demonstrate what she said, and then we'll be

42
00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,840
Speaker 1: speaking to the school for a response, she wrote me

43
00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,320
Speaker 1: to say we Resigne in the South Peninsula and the

44
00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:16,639
Speaker 1: email has offered us a choice of four venues. These

45
00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,800
Speaker 1: are brain Line in Stellenbosch, which is seventy five kilometers

46
00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,800
Speaker 1: from our home, Corow in Somerset West sixty five kilometers away,

47
00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,040
Speaker 1: IVA Tutors and Exams in Belville forty nine kilometers from

48
00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,400
Speaker 1: our home, and IVA Tutors and Exams in George, obviously

49
00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,960
Speaker 1: not an option at four hundred and fifty odd kilometers

50
00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,640
Speaker 1: from their home. And this parent pointed out, we have

51
00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,560
Speaker 1: paid a sixteen thousand round exam fee already to cover

52
00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:44,240
Speaker 1: the cost of accommodating our learners at outside venues, and

53
00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,000
Speaker 1: there's not a lot of time left to try and

54
00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,200
Speaker 1: find another solution. We have to select our venue by

55
00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,359
Speaker 1: Friday of this week. So she asked if there was

56
00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,560
Speaker 1: anything we could do to help, and I don't know

57
00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:55,280
Speaker 1: if we can, but I do know we need to

58
00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,639
Speaker 1: just explore this topic a little bit further and get

59
00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,440
Speaker 1: some insight into how venues are select did and what choice,

60
00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,680
Speaker 1: if or if at any, at all, the parents and

61
00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,680
Speaker 1: the schools the online schools have. It's a pleasure to

62
00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:08,840
Speaker 1: welcome on the line with us Linky Pelser, who is

63
00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:11,320
Speaker 1: Tonao's head of school, and Linky thank you on very

64
00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,040
Speaker 1: short notice. We appreciate your joining us this afternoon. Welcome

65
00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:14,440
Speaker 1: to the show.

66
00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,400
Speaker 2: A hi for Bine, thank you for the chance to

67
00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:18,600
Speaker 2: respond and surecreate that.

68
00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:21,800
Speaker 1: Let's just start with a few general questions. Does Tonao

69
00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,080
Speaker 1: select the venues itself or are these dictated by the

70
00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,200
Speaker 1: exam body whose exams the pupils are going to be writing.

71
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,080
Speaker 2: So I think it's for both I can start and

72
00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:33,960
Speaker 2: just to give you some background, So Tonayo is an

73
00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,160
Speaker 2: online school. They'd been serving thousands of learners across South

74
00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,320
Speaker 2: Africa for the past couple of years. Now. Our iv

75
00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:45,000
Speaker 2: curriculum provides high quality private education from three thousand grands

76
00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:50,120
Speaker 2: a month, open to all learners without restriction. All IV

77
00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,160
Speaker 2: exams are conducted online and traumetric. We learners right say

78
00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:59,520
Speaker 2: final exams okay, physical reads approved by the IVY. So

79
00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,480
Speaker 2: the past five years we've been accommodating all our ib

80
00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,720
Speaker 2: metric learners in appropriate examination venues and all learners are

81
00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:12,240
Speaker 2: treated on the same basis, and we undertake to secure

82
00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,960
Speaker 2: venues that are reasonably proximate for learners and are restricted

83
00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,919
Speaker 2: based on the need to cluster learners to venues, and

84
00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:25,240
Speaker 2: that's to manage the ib examination paper distribution requirements. So

85
00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:29,200
Speaker 2: we do not commit specified distance to learners when you're

86
00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:34,239
Speaker 2: rolling with TONAO. But that's ultimately the basis, Okay.

87
00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,440
Speaker 1: So when practical terms, obviously one can understand you need

88
00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,040
Speaker 1: to cluster learners. You can't have every learner writing at

89
00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:42,400
Speaker 1: the venue of their choice when you're talking about thousands

90
00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,919
Speaker 1: of learners writing these exams. But linky reasonably proximate, is

91
00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,279
Speaker 1: there a sort of a band of kilometers that you

92
00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,000
Speaker 1: consider to fall underneath the definition of reasonably proximate.

93
00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,279
Speaker 2: So I think reasonably proximate with this, So from person

94
00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,680
Speaker 2: to person, reasonably for one person might be literally a

95
00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:05,279
Speaker 2: kilometer down the road where they can walk, and another

96
00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,479
Speaker 2: person will deem anything less than one hundred kilometers is reasonable.

97
00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,039
Speaker 1: Okay, So obviously that's open for some debate. But fifty

98
00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,480
Speaker 1: kilometers away from an exam venue does pose a challenge,

99
00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,360
Speaker 1: and it poses a challenge in terms of traffic. A learner

100
00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:21,320
Speaker 1: has to face the petrol that's going to be spent

101
00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,680
Speaker 1: at vastly increased price from next week getting to that venue,

102
00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:27,960
Speaker 1: and the stress of of you know, am I going

103
00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,280
Speaker 1: to get there on time, et cetera to travel that

104
00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,159
Speaker 1: distance for each of the exams. You can understand why

105
00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,279
Speaker 1: a parent would be concerned about it being quite that

106
00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,680
Speaker 1: far away. The other interesting thing is if I look

107
00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,840
Speaker 1: at the four options that have been off it here,

108
00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,240
Speaker 1: three of them are relatively close together in a cluster,

109
00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,400
Speaker 1: and then there's nothing in the rest of the sort

110
00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,599
Speaker 1: of the Cape Town Greater Cape Town area. Again, Linky,

111
00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:53,320
Speaker 1: are those venues venues that the IEB said to you

112
00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:55,880
Speaker 1: this is what you can have or did you have

113
00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,160
Speaker 1: any input into where they would be?

114
00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:02,440
Speaker 2: So, as I played previous, venues have to be approved

115
00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:06,720
Speaker 2: by IB, and the process is quite stringent in terms

116
00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:11,000
Speaker 2: of what they deem as an approved venue. So ultimately

117
00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,239
Speaker 2: we have to work with venues that are approved based

118
00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:18,520
Speaker 2: on their requirements and to make sure that we do

119
00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:22,960
Speaker 2: not work without or out of the bounds of those requirements.

120
00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:24,520
Speaker 1: Well, I think what I'm trying to get a sense

121
00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:25,880
Speaker 1: of his link is, can you tell us a little

122
00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,960
Speaker 1: bit more about what those requirements are and the conversations

123
00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,960
Speaker 1: that happen in deciding where the exams are going to

124
00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,560
Speaker 1: be written? What are some of the hoops you need

125
00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,240
Speaker 1: to jump through, for example, to meet those requirements.

126
00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:42,000
Speaker 2: So one of the main requirements or main restrictions is

127
00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:46,600
Speaker 2: the clusters of learners. So, as I explained, IV has

128
00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,919
Speaker 2: to manage the examination paper distribution. They can't be distributing

129
00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:56,200
Speaker 2: one learner to one venue and another learner's writing at

130
00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,960
Speaker 2: another venue. So the clustering of learners at a venue

131
00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,400
Speaker 2: to ensure that proper distribution of the exam papers can

132
00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:07,760
Speaker 2: happen as well as obviously there's the requirement about the

133
00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:11,400
Speaker 2: security of exam papers. So if they have to send

134
00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:15,040
Speaker 2: exam papers to multiple venues where single learners are writing,

135
00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:20,480
Speaker 2: obviously it does pose additional security issues. But the majority

136
00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,640
Speaker 2: or the biggest restriction is based on the clustering of

137
00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,400
Speaker 2: learners and learners. Most of our learners are based in

138
00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:31,720
Speaker 2: the areas that are offered as ve news. They also

139
00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,600
Speaker 2: reach out to the news and some venues simply cannot

140
00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:41,480
Speaker 2: accommodate us because their enrollments or the space is limited

141
00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,000
Speaker 2: in terms of their cohorts.

142
00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,640
Speaker 1: And again I understand linky. I mean, for example, if

143
00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,080
Speaker 1: you reach out to an existing school a to say

144
00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:54,120
Speaker 1: can you accommodate ten toin AOW learners or whatever it

145
00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,800
Speaker 1: might be. They might not be writing the same subjects

146
00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,720
Speaker 1: as those learners. They can't be expected to provide security

147
00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:04,240
Speaker 1: and and vigilation for people who aren't their own cohort

148
00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:08,080
Speaker 1: of metrics. There are obviously logistical challenges involved here. As

149
00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:10,880
Speaker 1: a matter of interest, have you had this situation before

150
00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,640
Speaker 1: in previous years where parents have complained that the venues

151
00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,560
Speaker 1: are too far away or is this perhaps a factor

152
00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,360
Speaker 1: of it being an unusual geographic distribution this year that

153
00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,920
Speaker 1: sees the majority more so than previously clustered in the

154
00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:25,880
Speaker 1: sort of northern suburbs Windlands area.

155
00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,000
Speaker 2: Yes, it would be the latter so and once again,

156
00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:33,080
Speaker 2: as I've said, we provide high quality private education education

157
00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:38,040
Speaker 2: for it to learners across South Africa, so learners can

158
00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,560
Speaker 2: be in any space in South Africa and joined TONAO

159
00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:45,560
Speaker 2: and actually have accessible private online education from the comfort

160
00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,840
Speaker 2: of their own home. But ultimately those restrictions based on

161
00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,360
Speaker 2: venue choices is something that we need to deal with.

162
00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:57,079
Speaker 1: We're talking to Linky Palser, head of school for Tenao

163
00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,760
Speaker 1: Online Schools, and this is regarding appearance questioning of the

164
00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:04,640
Speaker 1: fact that the exam venues for the seismetric final exams,

165
00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,840
Speaker 1: specifically the IEB exams, because I'm aware of the fact

166
00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,720
Speaker 1: that there are other options also offered through to Know,

167
00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:14,000
Speaker 1: but we're talking here particularly about the IEB cohort for

168
00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:17,120
Speaker 1: twenty twenty six. If anybody else listening has a question

169
00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,480
Speaker 1: or a commenter was also impacted and you'd like to comment,

170
00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,680
Speaker 1: you're welcome to send a what's up to seven two

171
00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,440
Speaker 1: five six seven one five six seven niki. Somebody asking

172
00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,800
Speaker 1: whether to know has the option of hiring an additional

173
00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,839
Speaker 1: venue itself and paying for an IEB in vigilator, or

174
00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,880
Speaker 1: paying for any additional paper security, et cetera that's needed

175
00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,400
Speaker 1: as a last resort. Is that something that is even

176
00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:40,400
Speaker 1: an option for you.

177
00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:46,199
Speaker 2: Well as Papa. I've explained earlier the restrictions and requirements

178
00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:51,160
Speaker 2: on venues, specifically to be actually certified as a venue.

179
00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:57,120
Speaker 2: Just to give you a simple example, meaning that there

180
00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,480
Speaker 2: has to be a safe where papers can be under

181
00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,720
Speaker 2: lock and key. That's just a simple example. There are

182
00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:07,000
Speaker 2: so many requirements that a venue has to meet to

183
00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:14,440
Speaker 2: be actually accredited as a functioning exam venue, and to

184
00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:18,400
Speaker 2: go through all of those requirements does take a lot

185
00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,760
Speaker 2: of time, and many of the schools current physical schools

186
00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:25,880
Speaker 2: will understand what those requirements entail. They need to have

187
00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:30,680
Speaker 2: a camera system in place, just to mention a few

188
00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,400
Speaker 2: and again yeah so, but again, we are bound to

189
00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:39,800
Speaker 2: IV rules when it comes to any venue and we

190
00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:43,560
Speaker 2: will continue to engage with the IV in terms of

191
00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:48,800
Speaker 2: venues and applicable let's call it applicable venues where learners

192
00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,040
Speaker 2: can be hosted and accommodated.

193
00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:55,520
Speaker 1: To write linky, do parents individually have the option of

194
00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:58,719
Speaker 1: trying to negotiate with another IEB venue? So if there

195
00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:02,000
Speaker 1: is a parent who lives close to a local high

196
00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,240
Speaker 1: school that they know rights IEB exams, do they have

197
00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,800
Speaker 1: the option of approaching that school to say can you

198
00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:08,880
Speaker 1: accommodate my child? Is that open to them?

199
00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,840
Speaker 2: Unfortunately, know they have to work through the school that

200
00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:15,320
Speaker 2: they already just said. And but a parent can for example,

201
00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:19,200
Speaker 2: present us with optionality and we will reach out to

202
00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:24,240
Speaker 2: that school if there is availability. Kay understand, Yes.

203
00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:27,440
Speaker 1: So let's talk a little bit about this if you're

204
00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,240
Speaker 1: open to that. Linky that the timeline here is quite tight,

205
00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,480
Speaker 1: so that the venue email went out on Tuesday and

206
00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,160
Speaker 1: parents have been asked to make a selection by Friday.

207
00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,679
Speaker 1: That's not leaving a lot of wiggle room for that

208
00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:42,280
Speaker 1: that sort of plan be option. Is it something you'd

209
00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,440
Speaker 1: be prepared to extend a deadline on or are you

210
00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:47,880
Speaker 1: in turn bound by deadlines in terms of what you

211
00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:51,520
Speaker 1: need to secure with the IEB fully understanding you are

212
00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:54,240
Speaker 1: having to dovetail into their systems.

213
00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,080
Speaker 2: Yes, exactly as you said that there we have to

214
00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,760
Speaker 2: meet the IB deadlines to ensure that they can. They

215
00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,640
Speaker 2: need to make provisions for how many learners or rights

216
00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:07,400
Speaker 2: in each subject at each venue to ensure that they're

217
00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,720
Speaker 2: logistics are made to be at the end of the

218
00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:15,400
Speaker 2: year when they start to administer the NC exams. So, unfortunately,

219
00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,400
Speaker 2: we work with timelines based on deadlines that we are

220
00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:24,680
Speaker 2: given from the IEB. But again, if a parant has

221
00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:29,600
Speaker 2: an extreme case or something is a mess, they are

222
00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,679
Speaker 2: welcome to contact us and from school side, we're more

223
00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:36,120
Speaker 2: than willing to help and see if we can provide

224
00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:41,160
Speaker 2: them with other additional venues or if they need an extension,

225
00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,840
Speaker 2: because then, because they need to ensure that they can

226
00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,040
Speaker 2: plan appropriately, they just need to reach out to us

227
00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,320
Speaker 2: so we can understand what the situation is.

228
00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:52,560
Speaker 1: Okay, Yeah, some interesting comments coming in on our WhatsApp

229
00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:57,800
Speaker 1: line and quite divided opinions. Faisal saying more than fifty

230
00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:01,680
Speaker 1: kilometers distance is a massive income convenience. GT doesn't think so,

231
00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:05,120
Speaker 1: says you've chosen to work within this system. Suck it

232
00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,080
Speaker 1: up is the comment. Fifty kilometers is not excessive in

233
00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:12,319
Speaker 1: GT's opinion. Dennis also feeling these students have had the

234
00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,840
Speaker 1: comfort of studying at home for years. Surely some inconvenience

235
00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:19,240
Speaker 1: for the final exam is trivial. I don't think that's fair, Dennis,

236
00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:21,600
Speaker 1: because it's not a single exam. We're talking here about

237
00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,679
Speaker 1: multiple subjects, some of those subjects with multiple papers, so

238
00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,360
Speaker 1: it can be a sort of a month long or

239
00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,280
Speaker 1: more process to write all of those papers. Linky, What

240
00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:33,800
Speaker 1: are you proposing to parents who are in this position

241
00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:37,080
Speaker 1: of being very far away from where the venues are

242
00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,960
Speaker 1: clustered for this year? What are you suggesting to them

243
00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:44,959
Speaker 1: as the best alternative? Because navigating fifty kilometers or sixty

244
00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,000
Speaker 1: or seventy kilometers of traffic and distance and all of

245
00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,520
Speaker 1: the things that can go wrong getting to an exam

246
00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,680
Speaker 1: venue obviously is going to cause a lot of stress

247
00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,440
Speaker 1: for learners. Are there any alternative practical suggestions that you've

248
00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,280
Speaker 1: made to parents on how to navigate that.

249
00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,520
Speaker 2: There are some practical suggestions in terms of, for example,

250
00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,360
Speaker 2: being accommodated by friends of family that lives closer to

251
00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,160
Speaker 2: that venue to ensure that you don't have to drive.

252
00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,080
Speaker 2: If they feel the distance is too far away, then

253
00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:17,040
Speaker 2: if they can be accommodated by friends of family that's

254
00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,400
Speaker 2: closer to the venue, that obviously cuts down the need

255
00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:25,720
Speaker 2: to drive the lengths or the destance to the venue.

256
00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,480
Speaker 1: Okay, another message in here from Lara saying they're speaking

257
00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:32,600
Speaker 1: about clustering of students, but it's still unfair if every

258
00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,880
Speaker 1: venue is in the northern suburbs. Surely venues should have

259
00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,920
Speaker 1: been provided in the Cape Flats and the southern suburbs,

260
00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,520
Speaker 1: et cetera to be fair to all parents. Would you

261
00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,520
Speaker 1: like to respond, But by again.

262
00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:48,280
Speaker 2: If I said, we are dealing with an examination board

263
00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:53,880
Speaker 2: with strict guidance and restrictions and we have to abide

264
00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,120
Speaker 2: by that to ensure that our cohort is actually able

265
00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:01,280
Speaker 2: to write at a venue that is approved by the Ivy.

266
00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:05,480
Speaker 2: That is where the exam can be ministered administered under

267
00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:12,040
Speaker 2: the exam conditions that's required. So unfortunately, the venues that

268
00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,600
Speaker 2: we have presented to those families are the venues that

269
00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:22,760
Speaker 2: are currently available and yeah, that's I think that's the

270
00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:24,000
Speaker 2: end of the comments and that thing.

271
00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,200
Speaker 1: Okay, LINKI. Just in closing it, I want to thank

272
00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:29,160
Speaker 1: you again for coming on at such short notice. We

273
00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,200
Speaker 1: don't normally like to do such a last minute dot

274
00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:35,160
Speaker 1: com interviews, but given the timeline on this, with the

275
00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,280
Speaker 1: window for making venue selection closing on Friday already, we

276
00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:40,480
Speaker 1: did feel it was pertinent to try and speed this

277
00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:42,600
Speaker 1: one to air. I would love to hear from other

278
00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,840
Speaker 1: parents and as specifically, if you've been through the process

279
00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:50,080
Speaker 1: of writing online schooling final exams, how was it handled

280
00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,480
Speaker 1: in the year that you wrote. Were you able to

281
00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,040
Speaker 1: find convenient venues or did you too have to face

282
00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,440
Speaker 1: a commute? Do you have any advice to share with

283
00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:00,520
Speaker 1: parents who might be in that position on what made

284
00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:02,800
Speaker 1: it easier for you to navigate that challenge? We would

285
00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,280
Speaker 1: welcome such input on seven two five six seven one

286
00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,640
Speaker 1: five six seven. Just in closing, Linky, you did say

287
00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,720
Speaker 1: if parents have found a venue that might be able

288
00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:17,080
Speaker 1: to accommodate them or be considered as an additional alternative,

289
00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,200
Speaker 1: you're open to them approaching you. What is the best

290
00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:21,040
Speaker 1: way to do that?

291
00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,360
Speaker 2: Our parents can reach out to us via help at

292
00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,040
Speaker 2: tonaeducation dot com so that the team that is working

293
00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,880
Speaker 2: with examination or final registrations will be best able to

294
00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:39,120
Speaker 2: assist and guarde them in this process. So ultimately parents

295
00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:41,080
Speaker 2: need to reach out to us. We will do what

296
00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,200
Speaker 2: we can, but we also want to highlight the fact

297
00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:48,240
Speaker 2: that it is a short period to navigate the I

298
00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:52,200
Speaker 2: want to say the uncomfortability versus the incredible benefits presented

299
00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:54,240
Speaker 2: by distance learning or online education.

300
00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,120
Speaker 1: Linky Pelsa thank you for your time. This afternoon, head

301
00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:00,160
Speaker 1: of school at Tenao Online Score will