It has been a difficult few months for parents, learners, teachers and the Department of Basic Education as the heated debate of reopening schools has not been widely welcomed.
Parents and teachers have expressed their concerns about learners’ safety as the Covid-19 virus is still a threat.
The Department of Basic Education first announced in May that school for matric and Grade Seven learners would resume on June 1, but this was later changed to June 8.
This has caused many parents and teachers to worry and question the readiness of schools.
The ANCYL in Ward 39 visited Laerskool Elsburg and Hoërskool Elsburg on May 29 to check if the two schools were ready to welcome back their learners.
According to chairperson of the ANCYL in Ward 39, Prince Rulashe, they were happy with their findings at the two schools.
“At both schools the staff worked together and made sure we understood the rules and that we followed them.
“On arrival at the schools, we were screened and our temperatures were taken. We had to fill in the register at the entrance where there were tape to assist with social distancing.
“We were advised by the staff at the gate that if our temperatures exceed 38 degrees, we would not be allowed to enter.
“The classrooms made provision for social distancing, with one child per desk, and there is sanitiser at the door of every classroom,” said Rulashe.
He said the principal of Laerskool Elsburg, Marius Janse van Rensburg, informed them that they were expecting 127 Grade Seven learners to be returning to school.
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“Laerskool Elsburg is ready for all Grade Seven learners to come back, but Janse van Rensburg indicated that some parents had notified him that they will not be allowing their children to come back to school,” said Rulashe.
“We were informed that the principal will make provisions for Grade Seven learners who will be doing their schooling from home.
“Parents can come to the school and collect workbooks and learning materials.”
He further said they were happy that the government had delivered all the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE).
“The Department of Education provided masks for teachers and learners and some parents donated masks to the school.
“The only thing we didn’t see was the Covid-19 brigade the department promised to deploy at schools,” said Ralushe.
The concerns of learners returning to school has been debated by many people, even the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
The commission also decided to conduct some independent monitoring of schools for readiness in all nine provinces.
The commission also wrote to the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, recommending that she reconsider June 1 as the date for the return to school of Grade Seven and Grade 12 learners.
“While the commission supports the opening of schools as soon as possible in order to give effect to the right of learners to education, a matter of great national importance to our country, in many aspects it believes this should be done in tandem with reasonable and adequate measures and efforts to safeguard the right to health of learners and educators.
“It is thus important that the necessary minimum conditions that need to be met for the reopening of schools, such as access to adequate clean water and sanitation, social distancing, the availability of PPE, training and the general sanitisation of schools, are met,” said Gushwell Brooks, communications coordinator for the SAHRC.
According to the commission the findings from different provincial offices were that many schools had not achieved the required readiness to receive learners.
“Most observations from our provincial offices highlight the shortage or inadequacy of water and sanitation, as well as PPE.
“Some even reported that the necessary training was still outstanding.
“Another observation made during monitoring in provinces is that the level of readiness for many rural schools is significantly low,” said Brooks.
As schools reopened on Monday, the commission said it will continue monitoring.
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