About one million learners return to school during challenging times
As schools opened on Monday, a number of learners in the province could not go to school because of damaged infrastructure.
In Tekwane South, Entokozweni, KaNyamazane and Pienaar learners were forced to stay away from their respective schools as roads and bridges linking them with other areas were damaged by the recent heavy rainfall. In Nkomazi Local Municipality, a bridge connecting Driekoppies and Schoemansdal was flooded, making it impossible to cross on Monday after the area received some heavy rainfall on Sunday night.
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Last week, the acting director-general, Peter Nyoni, had a discussion with HODs, including representatives from the Department of Education, in which he instructed them to move with speed and come up with temporary solutions just to get the school children to schools.
The spokesperson for the department, Jasper Zwane, said the department is aware of these challenges and has done everything humanly possible to create an enabling environment for teaching and learning to start.
“The school reopening occurs at a time when the province has received a lot of rains. We are requesting parents and learners not to risk their lives by crossing flooded streets, roads, streams or rivers.
“The department calls for extra vigilance from all communities in this regard to avoid any casualties,” cautioned Zwane.
The first 198 school days of 2021 About one million learners return to school during challenging times school year begun on Monday instead of January 13, due to Covid-19 pandemic lockdown regulations.
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Besides the challenges caused by the heavy rains, Zwane said the first day of schooling commenced well.
“All learners are expected to have received their stationery for the year, been allocated classrooms and informed about their timetables. Schools were advised not to withhold stationery to any learner for any reason whatsoever. “As a precautionary measure, in line with Covid-19 safety protocol, schools will still be using differentiated timetables. This includes platooning, alternate attendance on different days or weeks, or a hybrid system that is suitable to the needs of each school.”
“It remains imperative for parents to find out from their respective schools about the timetable which their children will use to attend classes,” clarified Zwane.
He said they have dispatched protective personnel equipment (PPE) to schools and requested that these be used for the intended purpose.
“Adherence to lockdown regulations remains paramount at all times. This includes social distancing, regular washing of hands or sanitising and the wearing of masks to cover both nose and mouth,” he said.
The MEC for education, Bonakele Majuba, and the deputy minister for basic education, Dr Reginah Mhaule, visited Mkhulu Combined School in Steve Tshwete Local Municipality to monitor compliance to the Covid-19 health and safety protocols on Monday.
