Limpopo education MEC delays return of Grades 3, 10

Hundreds of thousands of Grade 3 and 10 pupils in Limpopo will continue to bask in the winter sun when other grades go back to school this week.

This is because the province’s basic education department is not ready for the phasing in of the next cohort of pupils as Covid-19 continues to rear its ugly head.

The Limpopo provincial department of basic education announced on Sunday it would suspend the return of the next group of pupils this week.

The department had previously communicated that pupils in Grades 3 and 10 would return to school on 20 July, in accordance with the amended directions published in the

Government Gazette No 43510 by Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga.

But on Sunday, the department did an about-turn and suspended the intake of these grades.

Departmental spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said the department had made this decision after careful consideration of all key variables. She said further directives on the decision would be communicated in due course.

This would not affect arrangements already in place for pupils who benefit from the national school nutrition programme.

The department’s stance was supported by the provincial coronavirus command council.

It stated that an MEC for education in a province had the power to delay the phasing in of the remaining grades, depending on the Covid-19 situation and other challenges.

South African Democratic Teachers Union Limpopo provincial secretary Sowell Tjebane said yesterday: “We welcome the decision by the provincial department and hope this will go a long way in saving the lives of our children from the deadly coronavirus.

“We believe the MEC for education has finally woken up and smelt the coffee, because the writing is on the wall that we are not ready as a province.

“We are also still lacking in terms of the provision of personal protective equipment and clean water and sanitation.

“That is why we reiterate our call to parents and the department that taking the last group of children back to school could be fatal,” he said.

Tjebane’s words were echoed by a school principal of one of the schools in Tzaneen, Bolobedu under the Motupa circuit, who said he was jubilant on receiving the circular from the department postponing the phasing in of the next batch of pupils.

“I am a school principal and I know what is happening in our schools.

“One thing for sure is that the shortage of infrastructure, such as classrooms is the biggest problem faced by the department.

“If ignored, we will continue to carry coffins every weekend due to coronavirus deaths,” he said.