Precautions must be taken on daily basis

MOST schools in the country are expected to open today as thousands of pupils and teachers contend with a new normal in how they socialise and learn during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Schools will have to contend with what can only be described as a national shame – the vandalism of 1 672 schools across the country. These despicable acts threaten the education of thousands of pupils.

Yesterday, Education Minister Angie Motshekga said that more than 95% of schools were ready to open, and those schools that were not Covid19 compliant would not be opened because of the risks associated with doing so.

When schools were first closed after a state of disaster was announced, many envisaged that they would re-open within weeks and normal school activity would resume.

The fact is that social distancing and Covid-19 compliance will be a reality for some time.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said at the weekend: “The pandemic is going to be with us for a long time. We can’t abandon schooling and economic activity. We can see some children are doing e-learning, but the bulk of the children don’t have access to e-learning. This is a problem of us trying to walk together.”

Teacher unions have complained that some schools are not ready, particularly in poor communities where no personal protective equipment has been delivered for teachers and pupils.

The measures that allow learning to take place must be sustained on a daily basis to minimise the effects of Covid-19 on an entire generation of pupils.