‘Cancel the school year’

Calls for the cancellation of the current academic year are increasing as the Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga is further criticised for ignoring parents’ outcry for insisting on sending children to school despite the danger posed by the Covid-19.

United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation (Udemo) secretary-general Thandi Nontenja accused Motshekga of lacking parental empathy by prioritising the school curriculum over children’s lives.

Nontenja said Udemo was “appalled” at Motshekga’s obliviousness to the calls to cancel the 2020 academic year.

Udemo suggested that South Africa follow the example of Kenya and cancel this academic year.

“It simply is not safe to send our children to school as Covid-19 ravages our people and daily infection rates soar. Kenya showed leadership by cancelling the 2020 academic year, why can South Africa not do the same?

“Having a gap year in the curriculum is feasible and is acceptable as we are fighting a pandemic and our children are not weapons to do so,” Nontenja said.

“With this ill-founded insistence that our children go to school, Motshekga and her cohorts are making sure our children and the future of the country go to the grave with a short cut. Udemo cannot, and will not, accept this.”

Nontenja accused Motshekga of putting the school curriculum ahead of children’s lives.

“As a mother, who should be doing everything in her power to protect her child, Motshekga should be the first person to see the merit of such an action,” she said.