The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the community education and training college system in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

This chapter gives an account of how adult learners and educators in the Community Education and Training College system in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN CETC) have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown, and considers implications of their experiences for the future of the system. The current COVID-19 pandemic is contextualised against the history of previous pandemics, some of which had devastating effects on society. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the CETC system is described, including the denial of access to learning venues and initial difficulties in procurement of protective equipment and products required for the re-entry of learners and educators. The keen sense of injustice felt by some learners and their responses to this injustice are noted, as is the exposure of shortcomings in the system, and the associated transformational learning opportunities for adult learners, adult educators and the managers of the system.