KANYAMAZANE – It was business as usual for most establishments as teaching and learning began on day one of the official school year.
The spotlight was on primary schools’ first-time learners as they entered mainstream education. For most of these children, the opening of schools meant nothing but more game time with friends, while others seemed lost and clueless as to why they had been left with total strangers. The spokesperson for the Department of Education, Jasper Zwane, confirmed that day one of teaching and learning had proceeded as planned.
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“The Mpumalanga Department of Education has pulled out all the stops to ensure the smooth opening of schools. All establishments were directed to accelerate efforts to finalise the admission of learners so that they would be in class learning from the first school period on Wednesday. I can confirm that most of our schools opened without any challenges whatsoever,” said Zwane.
He stressed that the department had earlier instructed circuit managers and schools to refrain from denying learners’ admission on the basis that their parents are unable to pay fees or do not subscribe to the religious policy of a school, or that the learners do not have birth certificates.
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Zwane said almost all the schools seemed to have followed the Covid-19 protocols as prescribed by the state.
“It gives us pleasure to see that our schools are as concerned about the safety and health of our learners and teachers as we are. Covid is still very much with us and we must not relax our efforts in the fight against this pandemic,” he said. He urged all eligible learners to get vaccinated.
