Schools ready for pupils despite spike in Covid-19 cases

Despite a surge in Covid-19 infections and South Africa entering the third wave of the pandemic the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has presented to Parliament its risk-adjusted differentiated strategy and says it is ready to receive learners back in classrooms across the country.

Deputy Minister of Basic Education Reginah Mhaule told the parliament portfolio committee on education on Tuesday all stakeholders had unanimously agreed it would be right for learners to go back to school on a full-time basis.

“We are ready but it will depend upon the advice that we’ll get from the Department of Health,” said Mhaule.

“School governing bodies (SBGs) were consulted and there we no stakeholders who said it would not be right that learners go back to school.”

“What we have is not absolute. When we get contrary advice, we’ll react to that advice as it comes. But for now we are preparing to receive all grades and all learners in primary schools.”

Primary school pupils will have to return to school two months from now.

According to the Government Gazette all pupils from Grade R to 7 and all schools for learners with special education needs from Grade R to 12, will return to their normal classes on 26 July.

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The department said the director-general was resuming weekly one-on-one engagements with the provinces to gauge their extent of readiness.

It said key issues likely to compromise compliance with health protocols had been identified.