Full return of primary school kids won’t happen on schedule
● Thousands of primary schools across SA will not be able to resume classes on a fulltime basis from tomorrow, despite the physical-distancing requirement being cut from 1.5m to 1m.
Already, the North West education department has said schools in Bojanala and Ngaka Modiri Molema, two of its four districts, will continue rotational teaching because of overcrowded classrooms.
In the Western Cape, 894 primary schools have told the provincial education department that they won’t be able to accommodate all pupils on a daily basis.
The Northern Cape education department said only 79 out of 424 primary schools would be able to return to the traditional timetable with the 1m requirement in force.
In Gauteng, the education department told principals last week that 507 township schools would not be able to receive all pupils if they adhered to the 1m rule.
The basic education department informed teacher unions and a principals’ association yesterday that “full capacity schooling” should continue even if schools were not able to maintain 1m physical distancing between pupils in class.
This was the advice given to the department by the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC).
A large number of schools in the Umlazi district are without PPE Imran Keeka, above
The return to full capacity from tomorrow only applies to primary and special-needs schools. Many high schools continue to teach on a rotational basis to adhere to Covid safety measures. No-fee schools are most affected.
In the Free State, Dikeledi Mothibi, chair of the governing body of Thubisi Primary in Thaba Nchu, said the school will accommodate 102 grade 4 pupils and a further 102 grade 6 pupils in four different classrooms tomorrow and on Tuesday on a trial basis.
“This means there will be 51 pupils in each class and two learners sharing a desk, so we can’t do social distancing.”
The school has six vacant classrooms but has to combine classes because it is short of seven teachers.
A staff member at Makgake Primary in Hammanskraal near Pretoria said the school will be forced to accommodate more than 40 pupils per class in grades 2 and 6 because of a lack of classrooms.
The DA’s education spokesperson in Gauteng, Khume Ramulifho, who conducted an oversight visit to Cosmo City Junior Primary School in Johannesburg on Friday, said the department had told the school to continue with rotational teaching because of its huge enrolment. About 2,100 pupils attend the school, which was designed to accommodate just over 1,000.
“Even with rotational teaching, there are 32-34 pupils in a class,” Ramulifho said.
But Wits University vaccinology professor Shabir Madhi said physical distancing “is not going to prevent most infections”.
“Having good ventilation and wearing face masks when indoors would be more useful than trying to focus on physical distancing,” he said.
North West education department spokesperson Elias Malindi said the guidelines on the return of primary school children did not mention the 1m distancing requirement but “rather the emphasis is on the capacity of the school, use of masks and washing of hands”.
Western Cape education department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said her department had provided 45 mobile classrooms but this “is clearly not going to bring back all learners”.
“It would be too costly to bring back all learners with the 1m rule with new mobile classrooms and additional teachers, never mind additional furniture and equipment. This is simply unaffordable and unrealistic.”
Hammond said just over 300 of the applications from schools to continue rotational classes had been approved, “with the remainder being considered”.
Gauteng education spokesperson Steve Mabona said the distancing requirement was a “national” matter.
Northern Cape education department spokesperson Lehuma Ntuane said: “More schools would need additional furniture, additional educators and adequate supply of water in order to ensure full compliance with Covid-19 protocols.”
Free State education spokesperson Howard Ndaba said the return of all primary school pupils to daily attendance was expected only on August 10, not tomorrow, “provided that the risk-adjusted differentiated strategy is implemented”.
Mpumalanga education spokesperson Jasper Zwane said almost all primary schools in the province will be in a position to receive pupils.
In Limpopo, education spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said 23 schools had asked to continue rotational scheduling because of space challenges. “While these are being considered and interventions sought, schools have been advised to bring back the foundation phase [grades R, 1, 2 and 3] and grade 7 for daily attendance.”
Imran Keeka, the DA’s education spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, said the unavailability of basic protective gear and regulations remained a concern in some schools in the province.
“A large number of schools in the Umlazi district are without PPE … A similar situation exists within the King Cetshwayo district. Nothing can excuse this.”
Thirona Moodley, CEO of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA in KwaZulu-Natal, said the union’s concerns were growing.
“Most schools will not be able to maintain the 1m social distance.” Many schools were without PPE and sanitiser, Moodley said.