A national recovery plan has been developed for schools by education heads following the four-week-old public sector strike.

An analysis of provincial reports shows that pupils have experienced different levels of disruption to their academic year. Some have lost up to three weeks of teaching, while others have lost no more than a day or two.

In some cases, teaching time was not lost, but mid-year tests and exams were disrupted.

This indicates the need for a broad framework rather than a "one-size fits-all" plan.

In addition to the national recovery plan, every level of education needs to construct an appropriate recovery plan.

Every teacher must have a recovery plan for their classes, mapping a route to ensure that the curriculum targets are achieved by the end of the year. Every school, every district, and every province must have a recovery plan, based on their special circumstances.

The department will be publishing guides for schools and teachers to construct their own recovery plans.

Once there is an agreement with teachers on a return to work, urgent discussions will be held with teacher unions to determine their contribution to the recovery plan.

Until then, this plan makes no extra demands on teachers, and contains no calls for additional teaching time, according to the education heads.