When you arrive at the main gates of Ekurhuleni West TVET College’s (EWC) Germiston campus you are met by security officials who check for any early signs and symptoms of Covid-19 before they allow you to enter.
This is just one of the new measures in place to ensure the safety of the students, teachers, staff and visitors on campus.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Buti Manamela paid the college a special visit on Friday to ensure the college was ready to welcome back students from June 10.
Ahead of a guided walk through the campus by acting campus manager Seipati Zikhali, Hellen Ntlatleng (DHET Gauteng and Free State regional manager) welcomed Manamela and other special guests to the college.
During her opening address, Ntlatleng touched on the importance of clean toilets, not just at the Germiston campus but at all EWC campuses.
“Student toilets must be clean,” she said.
“They should be so clean that we should be able to lock staff bathrooms and everyone just use the student facilities.
“Sanitation is key.”
Hand in hand with this, Ntlatleng stated there needed to be enough taps on each campus.
“Principals must see to it that there are enough taps on each campus,” she said.
Ntlatleng shared the news that all 75 classrooms on the Germiston campus would be fitted with air-conditioners to ensure the classrooms were not cold in winter, as it has been found the Covid-19 virus thrives in cold conditions.
Ntlatleng then introduced the college’s acting principal, Ntombizodwa Dangazele, who shared in greater detail what steps, protocols and processes the college had taken to ensure it was ready for classes to resume.
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“Covid-19 has presented us with a lot of challenges which will impact learning and teaching in a massive way,” Dangazele said.
“It will not be easy to continue teaching as we used to do before Covid-19, but we must learn to live with our new normal.
“We have introduced new ways of teaching and learning, all guided by Covid-19 rules and regulations, and we are happy to say we are ready to welcome back our students in a staggered manner.”
Dangazele explained that engineering students would be the first to return.
“From 8am to noon, we will have mechanical engineering students on campus,” she explained.
“There will be four periods with no breaks and at noon they will be asked to leave the campus as quickly as possible so that we do not have groups of students hanging around and so that teams can clean and sanitise the classrooms before the next group of students arrives.
“The next group will come in from 1pm until 4pm.”
She explained that all students, teachers, staff and visitors will be expected to wear a mask when on campus.
“We have procured masks for our students and lecturers,” said Dangazele.
“And all our entrances and venues have sanitiser, and we will promote clean hands and sanitising.”
Dangazele stated that students, teachers and staff would be screened each day. A bulk SMS had been sent out so that no one was unaware of the procedure that would take place.
After Dangazele’s full presentation, CEO of Higher Health (South Africa) Dr Ramneek Ahluwalia shared his thoughts on the college’s steps, protocols and processes.
“Keep it simple,” Ahluwalia said.
“Keep it basic.
“Remember, a simple sanitiser can kill the virus.”
He complimented the college on the efforts it has made and gave them further guidance, reminding Dangazele he is only a phone call away.
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Before the guided walk, Manamela shared a message from the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, as well as his thoughts on what EWC has put in place.
“People our age and younger will get the virus and may be asymmetric and may not show the symptoms,” he said.
“But imagine what happens when a student comes to a college like EWC, contracts the virus and then goes home to their parents and/or grandparents, that is where things begin to spiral out of control.
“This is what we are trying to avoid.
“In the same way we are trying to save lives, we need to save the academic year.”
Manamela stated the department’s hope was that measures would be put in place to ensure students and teachers had the support they needed to make it through the academic year, even those who were not returning to school just yet.
“I am quite excited with what I have seen and heard here today,” he said about the EWC Germiston campus.
“But we need to continually monitor.
“Remember, you have the support of the department and Higher Health (SA).”
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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za or Busi Vilakazi (Journalist) busiv@caxton.co.za.
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