School’s out
Schools will no longer reopen today but next Monday, it was announced last night, over growing concerns about the state of readiness of many educational facilities, leaving parents and pupils anxious and frustrated.
‘Teachers and non-teaching staff will arrive to prepare for reopening.’
The back-and-forth confusion over whether to return to school or not would only demoralise pupils and teachers and create further anxiety among them, an education activist said, as Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga backtracked yet again on making an announcement on school readiness.
Motshekga was yesterday expected to enlighten the country but cancelled and said she would make her announcement today at 11am.
It was left to the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) to issue a statement late last night to clarify that pupils would only return to school on 8 June.
“CEM took informed decisions to have schools to continue to reopen on 1 June, but with school management teams, teachers and non-teaching staff only arriving to prepare for the arrival of pupils,” basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said in a statement.
“Provincial and district officials should ensure that health, safety, and social distancing requirements, are strictly adhered to when teachers arrive,” Mhlanga added.
Unions and various schools have stood up to the minister, refusing to reopen schools despite her announcement last month for academic activities to resume today.
Education activist Hendrick Makaneta said the minister did not know which route to take as she was backed into a corner by parents, unions and governing bodies.
“Provincial and district officials should ensure that health, safety, and social distancing requirements are strictly adhered to when teachers arrive,” Mhlanga said.
“This coming week must be used for the proper orientation and training of teachers, the mopping and ramping of all supply chain matters, and final touches to the readiness of each facility for the arrival of learners.
“It’s clear our government isn’t ready, and Covid-19 has shown deep-rooted inequality between private and public schools.
“This will demoralise some of the teachers and pupils who were already prepared to go back. It will also cause further anxiety in the pupils and teachers.
No one knows what is happening and the stance of the department.”
The Educators Union of South Africa (Eusa) said it would ensure the court’s rule on the way forward as it was taking Motshekga to court to interdict the reopening of schools as this would lead to a “genocide”.
Unions and various schools across the country have stood up to the minister, refusing to reopen schools today despite her announcement last month for academic activities to resume today.
Eusa spokesperson Kabelo Mahlobogwane said they would be challenging Motshekga before the High Court in Pretoria tomorrow morning to interdict her proposal for pupils and teachers to return to school.
Several schools across the country have not received the relevant personal protective equipment (PPE) for teachers and pupils.
Thirty-two schools and 37 school staff members have been affected by the coronavirus in the Western Cape, which determinedly announced it would be opening school’s tomorrow.
According to Mahlobogwane, a school principal in Tshwane had also tested positive for the virus.
“Schools should not be rushed to be opened,” he said.
“PPE does not prevent the virus from spreading.
“If you were to look at the schooling environment and interactions, [the spread] is bound to happen.
“Scanners provided don’t detect the coronavirus but only check your temperature.
“There have been numerous reports that some don’t work well and at one school the thermometer gave all teachers the same reading of 360C.
“In townships, pupils walk to school in groups and interact with more than 20 people.
“When they get to school, they tell us to separate them, but after school, they walk back home in groups.
“No one is telling the pupils to observe proper social distancing or wear masks.
“There is absolutely no way schools can be opened at this stage because that would be committing a genocide.”
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) announced its support to the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union, Congress of South African Students, and other unions in rejecting Motshekga’s proposal.
As a health and education union, Nehawu said it would not jeopardise the lives of workers and pupils due to the education department failing to adhere to regulations such as deep-cleaning and fumigating, procurement of PPE, establishing screening and proper testing facilities at the workplace.
PPE does not prevent the virus from spreading