Schools battle to adhere to Covid-19 regulations after influx of pupils
Just three weeks after all public primary schools returned to normal daily timetabling, schedules have come crashing down as some of the schools in Mpumalanga cannot keep up with the number of learners occupying a single classroom.
This has forced some of the affected schools to revert back to the Covid-19 timetables, which allow learners to attend classes either twice or thrice a week. Concerned parents and even educators believe that government’s decision to allow all primary schools to go back to normal schooling is not only a bad call, but a fatal one.
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Many schools, especially in rural areas, still lack the basics to allow for a conducive environment for learning and teaching under Covid-19 to continue as normal. Many schools are without enough desks, water tanks and decent sanitation facilities.
The provincial Department of Education acknowledged these challenges and said it is working on a plan to address learner congestion in classrooms.
“Not all schools are affected, but the department is currently looking at community halls and other schools with classrooms not in use as a possible solution to this challenge,” said Gerald Sambo, the department’s spokesperson.
When making an announcement for the reopening of schools, basic education minister, Angie Motshekga, warned that schools, especially high schools that tend to have large classrooms sizes, could cause a super-spreader if learners return to the normal timetabling too soon.
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“Based on the information obtained from our provinces, schools are ready to continue to work within the established Covid-19 health protocols,” said Motshekga. Due to the pandemic, the educational sector has lost nearly two years of teaching and learning, which is a serious cause for concern.
According to the Department of Basic Education, these learning losses in primary schools may in the long run lead to an increase in dropouts when these children reach grades 10, 11 and 12, as it is at this point when pupils with a weak learning foundations begin to drop out in large numbers.
“The first step towards addressing the crisis of lost learning is to prevent further disruptions to school time and therefore prevent further learning losses. Children remain at low risk to Covid-19. The department’s efforts to introduce comprehensive safety protocols in schools and to vaccinate teachers have now created the possibility to keep schools open and for them to return to everyday attendance,” said the department.
