School academic year to start on 27 January as planned

The Department of Basic Education will go ahead with its plan to begin its academic year on 27 January, despite the surge in numbers of coronavirus cases.

This was revealed on Monday by the department’s director-general, Mathanzima Mweli.

“Schools are scheduled to reopen on the 25^th of January, for the teachers and the school management teams and for learners on the 27^th,” Mweli said.

Mweli said schools would operate as indicated by the risk-adjusted strategy under level three.

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“Oue risk-adjusted differentiated strategy indicated that schools wouldn’t be allowed to operate at alert level 5. At alert level 4 you allow for exit grades and at alert level 3 you allow for most of the grades.”

Mweli said that a team of researchers was confident that schools would open safely and that the risk-adjusted differentiated strategy would allow the department to deal with different areas in accordance with their needs.

“If you have a hotspot and it is impossible to get schooling running there, you obviously have to opt for a different option.”

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