Upset over numbers in classrooms

PARENTS have indicated their dismay at the number of children in classrooms, fearing that many will simply fall through the cracks.

Lerisha Adonis said her son was crying when he told her about his day at school. “His class is very full, very little space to move, constant high noise level and nowhere quiet or private during break. It's a big emotional adjustment for these little ones. Many of them will fall through the cracks and suffer major setbacks.

“My son loved school, but now he doesn't want to go. I pray that our children make it through this ‘battleground’ in one piece and I pray that our teachers keep the faith,” said Adonis, whose son goes to Montagu Drive Primary School in Mitchells Plain.

Another concerned parent, Clint Winter, said the teacher-to-pupils ratio is set by the powers that be.

Chief executive of teacher union SAOU Chris Klopper said the teacher-to-pupils ratio is a function of the education budget.

“Until such time as we can convince the Treasury to make more funds available for education, the poor ratios will not be addressed,” he said.

Executive director of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA (Naptosa) Basil Manuel said they were caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Should we let children remain on rotational learning? Is that better? Or should they be in the overcrowded classroom and get that attended to, is that better?”

Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the physical distancing rule of 1m had been scrapped.

“The correct usage of the masks is concerning and is not aligned to the protocols ... The WCED has always been upfront and honest about the fact that we need more resources to accommodate the increase growth in learner numbers each year. However, the majority of our schools returned to normal timetabling on Monday without incident, despite the late receipt of the legal directions from the national minister enabling the change.”