Covid-19: Lesufi concerned about poor Grade R attendance
So far, 294 learners, 753 educators, 76 admin staff, 33 general staff and three youth brigades had tested positive for the virus in Gauteng.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi updated the media on the recent reopening of schools during the virtual Gauteng Command Council briefing on 10 July.
Grade R, Grade 6 and Grade 11 learners were scheduled to return to school on 6 July.
Concern regarding the return of Grade R learners
Lesufi said that while there has been good attendance by learners in Grade 6 (62 per cent attendance) and Grade 11 (71 per cent attendance), they have only seen an average of 36 per cent of learners returning to Grade R. Lesufi indicated that this was an area of concern, which will be discussed by the Provincial Command Council.
Lesufi was pleased with the number of public schools that had reopened in Gauteng. He said that only 105 schools were closed, mostly due to Covid-19 cases. Only 19 special-needs schools had not opened due to Covid-19 cases. He said that most independent schools had also opened. Other reasons for schools remaining closed included community disruptions in the form of protests.
Backlog in decontamination
Lesufi indicated that there had been a backlog in decontaminating schools where people had tested positive for the virus. The South African National Defence Force would be assisting in this regard to speed up decontamination in the upcoming months.
Only seven schools remained closed as a result of infrastructure challenges due to vandalism. Learners in these schools have been allocated to neighbouring schools so that their education will not be disrupted.
Distance learning
Lesufi said that the distance learning programmes had been strengthened, particularly for parents without access to computers or technology. A 14-day programme has been established where parents can collect information and assignments from schools every two weeks which will later be returned to the school for assessment.
Lesufi encouraged parents to register for homeschooling and find resources at www.education.gov.za/Informationfor/ParentsandGuardians.aspx
He emphasised that no learner will be deregistered from admission at school. Parents are encouraged to choose from the options available rather than opt to have their children repeat a grade.
Parents are urged to notify schools if their child will not be returning to school this year. This will ensure that schools do not waste money on resources including sanitisers and face masks.
1 159 people connected to schools have tested positive
He said that so far, 294 learners, 753 educators, 76 admin staff, 33 general staff and three youth brigades had tested positive for the virus in Gauteng.
Over 3 000 educators had requested to be released early due to the risk associated with their age, while others had listed comorbidities in their request for early release.
Lesufi said the Gauteng Department of Education would be on the lookout for over 6 000 young teachers to fill the gaps at this time.
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