Cosas forcefully closing schools is ill-conceived, says Free State education dept

The department of education in Free State has reiterated its reason not close schools in the province after the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) reportedly forcefully evacuated learners from schools in Bloemfontein.

The province’s Education department spokesperson Howard Ndaba said there was no need for schools to close as all necessary protocols were followed.

“I don’t see a reason why the schools should be closed because we have decontaminated all the schools. We have trained all teachers on how to deal with the learners and ensure they always have their masks on. We also screen the learners and make sure they sanitise before entering the school’s premises,” he said.

Ndaba said health officials emphasised that tests could not be conducted without screening the learners first.

“We understand Cosas’ call for the learners to be tested, due to fears of the learners contracting the Covid-19, but health officials have informed the department that the prerequisite for testing [is] screening.

“Over 300,000 people have been tested for Covid-19 while we have also screened over 2.2 million people in Free State including the learners,” he added.

The spokesperson further said he hoped that Cosas would find common ground with the department as education MEC Tate Makgoe was set to meet the student body on Thursday, 18 June.

“Although Cosas’ call for schools to be closed is unconstitutional and illegal, we hope that their concerns will be heard in that meeting,” Ndaba said.

On Thursday, Cosas began its quest to evacuate learners from schools in Bloemfontein, which eventually spread out to parts of Botshabelo and Welkom.

The organisation demands that tests be made compulsory, before learners were allowed back in the classrooms after a Grade 12 learner at Grey College tested positive for the virus while 15 Grade 12 learners at the Heatherdale Secondary School were sent to Pelonomi Hospital for showing flu-like symptoms.

Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize confirmed 406 Covid-19 cases in the Free State, meanwhile, Covid-19-related deaths stood at nine with 162 recoveries in the process.