‘95% of schools ready to open’
MOTSHEKGA: GRADES 7, 12 RETURN TO CLASS TODAY
Focus would now be to ensure the remaining 5% meet the requirements to open their doors.
Most schools in the country are now ready to reopen, with only 5% still falling short – and “no child will be left behind”, according to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.
Motshekga has announced that 95% of schools have reached the necessary levels of sanitation and “Covid-19 related imperatives” to reopen today.
Grades 7 and 12 will return to their classrooms today, a week after originally planned, because schools were not ready on 1 June. Motshekga said the return of these grades will be followed by a “cluster of grades” on 6 July and the last cluster on 3 August.
During her briefing on the readiness of schools to reopen in the coming week, Motshekga said the focus would now be on ensuring the remaining 5% were assisted in ensuring they could also meet the requirements to reopen.
According to the latest figures announced, the number of provinces which were classified as low risk improved from two to six provinces.
The number of provinces classified as showing medium risk levels, has improved from the seven which were classified as medium risk (4) and high risk (3) on 30 May, to three provinces.
The variances among provinces were attributed to a variety of factors, “including but not limited to vandalism in 1 672 schools; interfering with the deliveries of essentials to schools; induction and orientation of educators and support staff; water and sanitation not yet provided to some schools; faulty thermometers…”
Motshekga stressed that no school would be allowed to reopen without meeting all the requirements and conceded that one of the biggest challenges was that of sanitation.
“The golden rule is, there will be no school that will resume if not ready to do so,” said Motshekga.
She stressed, though, that “no pupil will be left behind” on reopening.
“For the remaining 5% or so, pupils’ alternative measures have been developed by different districts, such as temporarily using neighbouring schools, using underutilised spaces in boarding schools and putting other pupils in camps,” said Motshekga.
“Because some of the alternatives need consultations with parents, provinces will be engaging parents and following the appropriate protocols to get parental concessions.”
The minister detailed the continued focus on ensuring the rollout of measures to bring schools up to standard.
“We have solicited the support and assistance of the South African National Defence, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), and Mvula Trust to collaborate with the department, provinces and Rand Water to accelerate the provision of water and sanitation in outstanding schools.
“We are cooperating with the department of transport to ensure that pupil transport provided does meet the health, safety and social distancing measures and requirements on Covid-19. This will include scholar transport for pupils with special education needs.
“We are continuing to work with the departments of health and social development to ensure that health and psychosocial needs of the school communities are met.”
Motshekga also said that the updated regulations for the reopening of schools make provision for those parents who are still hesitant to send their children to school tomorrow.
There was a continuing process to revise the 2020 school calendar, in order to accommodate the “peculiarities brought by the novel Covid-19 pandemic”, she said.
The department has also formulated plans to deal with comorbidities among teachers, and an agreement with unions is nearly complete.
This will include standard operating procedures, which will be circulated among schools to “ensure that schools are able to manage identified infections among educators, pupils, educators and support staff”.
“Where practicably possible, pupils from the ‘not-so-ready schools’, will be moved to neighbouring schools that meet the health, safety and social distancing set measures and requirements,” she added.
“The teaching and learning programmes provided online will continue; and parents who are uneasy to send their children back to school, must follow the law to ensure that their children’s right to basic education is unhindered.”
No school will resume, if not ready to do so