Government’s schools sports suspension based on ‘flimsy evidence’

The governing body foundation has lambasted the department of basic education’s (DBE) decision to suspend contact sports in schools.

Last week the council of education ministers pulled the plug on all contact sports with immediate effect, following Covid-19 cluster outbreaks in public schools.

The foundation has questioned the timing of the decision as it says that the process for consultation and comment on the draft DBE directions concerning this matter were still ongoing.

It said that decisions about sport should be made at school level and be determined by the prevailing Covid-19 infection rate in the particular district in the country where the school is located.

“The psychosocial and health benefits of pupils participating in sport must not be under-estimated,” said Anthea Cereseto, chief executive of the foundation.

“Covid-19 is going to be a factor in our lives for an extended period and therefore we do not see the need to halt an important aspect of the total school programme offered by many schools until all waves and dangers have passed.”

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The foundation said that school communities will act in the best interests of their pupils.

Cereseto said that the decision was made on flimsy evidence and on the basis of some Covid-19 infections being connected with sports, mainly in one province.

“Scientific proof is needed that the sporting activity actually caused the infections rather than the daily social interactions of the pupils who happened to be playing the particular contact sport or perhaps there was a failure to apply the Covid-19 protection measures scrupulously.”