**6. Presentation of findings**

In presenting the findings, we first outline what emerged from the questionnaires which formed a quantitative dimension of the study, and the narratives focused on the experiences, challenges and achievements in policy implementation. The data are presented under three broad themes:

Principals' experiences with implementing social distancing principles; the challenges in managing and delivering the curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic and the principals' areas of achievement in policy implementation.

#### **6.1 Principals' experiences in implementing social distancing principles**

The findings indicate that the principals' experiences were largely characterised by difficulties relating to tasks that they had to perform and manage while implementing the policy. First, they had to implement social distancing within the limited available classroom space where learning had to occur with no physical or close contact between teachers and learners. Second, they were mandated to deliver and manage the curriculum in a turbulent and unpredictable school environment. Third, they were to supervise the execution of daily routine tasks of the screening of teachers and learners and sanitisation to ensure compliance with COVID-19 policies. Fourth, they were tasked with implementing curriculum recovery programmes in an environment characterised by anxiety and fear.

Given that principals' experiences were characterised by difficulties and challenges, the discussion here focuses on that particular theme. Since schools are contact zones with fixed boundaries [8]. Principals had a duty of extending available space to make possible the prescribed distance of 1–1.5 metres between the learners' seats in a classroom. Different models of attendance were available to choose from. Schools chose and applied models in a manner that would meet their individual requirements. Out of the 25 schools in this study, 23 opted for the alternate-day approach. This was done in different ways with grades, in some instances, changing days to attend school, like in the case of *Tholulwazi* Primary where 'different grades attend on different dates', and *Masakhane* Primary where *'*Grade R and Grade 1 attended on different days and Grade 5 and Grade 6 also come to school on different days'*.* This arrangement also assisted schools like *Busisiwe* Primary where 'Grade 2, Grade 3 and also Grades 5 and 6 are using one classroom due to shortage of space'*.* In other instances, a class of learners was divided into two groups that come to school on a rotational bases skipping days, as was the case with *Zanokuhle* and *Thokoza* Primary schools, In *Thokoza* 'each class is divided into two groups and those two groups alternate daily'. Many other schools did the same. Some used a bi-weekly approach where different grades alternated on a weekly rotational basis.

Other schools such as *Graceland* Combined used the alternate day model with special internal arrangements where certain grades attended full time: 'Grade 7 and

#### *Principalship Educational Policy Challenges in the Management of a Turbulent School… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108504*

Grade 12 attend classes on [a] daily basis and these other grades come to school on two days each'*. Madiba* Primary, starting from Grade R to Grade 7 applied the same model as their 'Grade Rs and Grade 7s come daily and the remaining grades alternate days'. *Goodness* Primary applied mixed models by using both bi-weekly and alternate days approach 'because of the huge number of learners': 'Some grades are going to alternate on [a] weekly basis and others on [a] daily rotation basis'.

A well-resourced school like *Thokozani* Primary with a large campus and available space to manoeuver maintained the status quo as it 'applied for and received deviation from protocol. The whole school came back on the 6th of July 2020'. *Moya*, primary a small yet similarly well-resourced school could also afford to maintain the status quo.

*Mandla* intermediate, which had chosen an alternate day model, was forced to revert back to having all learners attending at the same time as the school experienced challenges with learner transport vehicle owners who were 'not prepared to transport few learners'. The principal, however, did not explain how the school managed social distancing under these circumstances. *Uthando* Primary had a similar experience where '*le*arner transport is not keen on bringing learners [to school] if the number is too little'*.* But the school still persevered with its alternate day model with Grade R and Grade 1 attending daily while 'Grade 4, Grade 6, and Grades 5 and 7 alternate days'*.*

These models of social distancing presented both advantages and disadvantages to the schools. Some of the advantages included the realisation of 'effective teaching and learning due to manageable class sizes', as *Benzakahle* Primary Principal indicated. There were however a number of challenges. For instance, the principal of *Kingdom* Combined complained that 'learners did not do the work allocated to them in the week at home'. *Esethu* Primary and *Dumisani* Primary Principals discovered that 'other learners confused the days that they are supposed to come to school on or [just] absent themselves'*.* Some other schools experienced similar challenges.

*Inhlanhla* Primary Principal noticed that the curriculum was 'moving at a slower pace since learners are not seen every day' and that 'most assessment tasks have to be done at home without teacher supervision'. *Bhekathina* Primary Principal realised that due to skipping days, learners struggle 'to link the concepts they studied on the previous days'. These challenges constitute the disadvantages of using rotational models of attendance.

#### **6.2 Provision of isolation rooms**

The policy guidelines compelled schools to have an isolation room or sick room to accommodate individuals with suspected infections. Specific requirements for setting up an isolation room had been laid out in the policy, e.g. the room had to be situated at the entrance of the school with separate toilet facilities [2]. Some of these requirements could not be met by disadvantaged schools' makeshift isolation rooms despite the innovative arrangements applied by the principals to convert available space. Identified spaces included offices at *uMthetho, Moya* and *Busisiwe* primary schools and a library, at *Emfundweni* Primary. Other spaces were unused classrooms as in the case of *Thandokuhle* Primary and *Graceland*. One for isolation, this being *Uthando* Primary even made use of an on-site security guard's house. This made some of the rooms unsuitable for the original purpose. *Senzeni* Primary mentioned that they did not have an isolation room and no provision was made for this lack.
