DA welcomes the reopening of schools but seeks clarity on certain issues

The return to school by South African Grades 7 and 12 and School of Skills learners has left members from all sectors of society with some anxiety and a number of questions.

While parents expressed their frustration with not being able to inspect school premises due to the nationwide ban on outside visitors who do not have an appointment with the school and reports emerge of teething problems on the first day, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has issued a statement welcoming the reopening of schools on Monday.

“As important as the recovery of the academic year is, of equal importance is that safety standards are upheld and maintained to protect learners and teachers as well as to ensure that schools are ready for the next phase of learners returning,” said the party.

Despite this, the party reportedly has a few unanswered questions about the return to schools which they have submitted as parliamentary questions to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.

The questions are as follows:

1. What plans does the department have in place or has directed to provinces to accommodate the remaining learners from other grades who will be phased back into attending school?
2. Since the Coronavirus pandemic, schools have been forced to decrease the number of learners in a classroom, will the department consider or maintain the decreased ratio of learners to teachers post Coronavirus pandemic?
3. What options will the department provide to parents who are unable to provide their children with homeschooling,  but are afraid and refuse to send their children to school?

“The DA calls on the minister to give clear and urgent clarification on the above, as her successive delays and confusion over the last two weeks have caused stress and uncertainty among parents,” added the party.

The official opposition also has plans to seek further clarification issues such as contingency plans for learners, staff members and teachers with co-morbidities and whether the National School Nutritional Programme will be made available to learners who are not yet at schools given the desperate need and calls from NGOs.

“While children are not the vectors of spreading the coronavirus, their health and welfare should remain a priority. We urge parents and caregivers to ensure that their children’s schools are ready to receive them according to specific guidelines that have been put in place by the department of health to prevent and fight the spread of Covid-19 in our schools.

“The DA has noted that only 95% of schools were ready to reopen today. We reiterate our call that schools that are not ready must not open until they are deemed ready.”

The party concluded by thanking principals, teachers and school support staff for their commitment and extended that gratitude to parents and communities who have supported educators “as they navigate this unprecedented period”.

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