The New Normal Carlin Braun  President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation of Address on the 15th of March marked the exact moment where a distant and unheard of virus became a known entity, that would proceed to change the course of history. In the weeks and months that followed, South Africa along with the rest of the world shut down. School gates were closed and the streets were silent, while citizens began the arduous process of adjusting to the new reality that laid before us. However, the nationwide lockdown could not last forever as the economy was collapsing in on itself and students in impoverished areas were unable to access online schooling and desperately needed to return to school. Subsequently, many false alarms concerning the reopening process were announced until finally, three months later on Monday, the 8th of June, matric as well as grade seven learners returned to the familiar comforts of classrooms and chalkboards.   With this return set against the backdrop of a steadily increasing number of Covid-19 cases in South Africa, the normal students and teachers alike were once accustomed to is no longer plausible. Thus, a new normal has come in to play where school grounds are outlined into safe zones and carefully measured distances. The first week returning to school felt alien. It was as if I had traded in my mundane life for something that mimicked a dystopic novel. And despite having had a few weeks to adjust, it is still jarring to see how quickly everything has changed in the blink of an eye.  The school grounds have transformed into bizarre versions of their former selves. In the school’s parking lot, white lines mark off socially distanced spaces for students to line up on while waiting to hand in daily questionnaires that asses our general condition. Upon entering the front gate, our temperatures are taken to ensure that they fall beneath 37.5 degrees celsius. After passing the screening test, the school that I find myself entering is practically empty compared to the hive-like quality it had before, as only a small fraction of the school’s student body is allowed on the premises at a time to allow for social distancing measures.  

The same markings follow me into the school corridors and grounds, serving as a constant reminder of the new reality I have found myself in. Besides these markings, posters and restricted areas, such as the lockers, can be seen all over school. Before classes begin, we line up outside allocated classrooms, one metre apart on the indicated spaces as teachers watch from a distance. Once the bell rings, we sanitize our hands before entering our first class of the day with our newly assigned teachers and classes, which consist of just under twenty students. We then remain here for our first three lessons of the day that comprise of our main subjects (Afrikaans, English and Mathematics). Once the bell finally rings to announce the start of break, we shuffle outside and make our way to assigned lunch areas, which are grouped according to registration classes. Break lasts for about half an hour and we’re sectioned off into spaced out chairs where we can remove our masks and eat lunch. After break, we once again put on our masks and make our way to our elective subjects that carry on until one o clock.  Despite the different Covid-19 protocols set in place, each day brings new challenges and empty seats. Last week I found myself booked off for the flu and taking two tests to confirm that I was not a walking COVID-risk. This week saw the school’s first confirmed case and the procedure associated with that. It would be dishonest to say that this new normal isn’t daunting and somewhat prone to panic, but as a whole, it is a reality that we have to face. The road ahead is long and precarious, but it is not impossible to conquer. By doing right by one another and ourselves, we can make it to the end of 2020 and this pandemic. It is only through perseverance and a calm, measured approach that we, as matric pupils, will be able to get through this year and proudly claim that we were the class of 2020.