Learners of Ithute Primary School were alleged to have been sleeping when they were supposed to be learning.
This is according to a concerned member of the community who preferred to remain anonymous. “The learners go to school to be taught, not to sleep.
“The teachers do not care about our children’s well-being because they come whenever they want…,” claimed the community member.
The anonymous source also alleged that the learners did not practise social distancing and rarely put on masks.
“The learners do not adhere to the Covid-19 restrictions as set out by President Cyril Ramaphosa. This is concerning particularly now with the Minister of Education’s announcement that Grades R to 7 must return to the daily attendance and traditional timetabling model from 26 July,” claimed the source.
The source also told Alex News judging from what was happening at the school that it will become close to impossible for teachers, who are allegedly rarely at school, to ensure that the learners practise and stick to the regulations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Ithute Primary School’s principal Mduduzi Gwala refuted all these claims and said the circulating pictures were a misunderstanding.
“On 1 June, we were testing to see if the Grade 7s can be able to maintain social distancing. We asked Grade 7s to come to school so we can see how they will cope with being at school full time. This is so when we open in July, we know how to deal with the number of learners present at the school,” said Gwala.
Gwala explained that following this, a concerned teacher from the school asked the learners to get together and act as though they were sleeping and not practising social distancing, as to make it seem as if the school’s management was putting the teachers’ lives at risk with the number of learners and lack of social distancing at the school. “I would like to put it on record that the management of the school would never put the teachers’ lives at risk as claimed by the teacher who took the pictures,” said Gwala.
“The teacher had intended to send this to the union she subscribes to so that the union fights for them as teachers while quoting the lack of social distancing, thus endangering their lives which is totally untrue, but instead the pictures started circulating and they were misunderstood in the sense that it made it seem like the teachers were not present at school when they, in fact, were present.”
Gwala added that the school was practising social distancing and adhering to the rules set by the President. “We were told that children do not get affected by Covid-19 but are carriers and so the management of the school would never put the teachers at risk as claimed by the teacher who took the pictures.
“The average [number] of learners in each classroom is currently 15 and the teachers always have masks on, sanitise and social distance when they are in their respective classes. Each class has a sanitiser and everyone who enters the school’s premises is sanitised and their temperature is taken and recorded as required.
“With regards to what we plan on doing when the learners return to school full time in July, we are going to make sure that teachers are adhering to the Covid-19 protocols. Social distancing will be practised and adhered to. Precautions will be taken as they are being taken now.”
Gwala concluded that the teacher would receive a verbal warning and would be charged for misconduct.
