Motshekga says it will take weeks to prepare schools, while Nzimande’s campuses to stay inactive

Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga and Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande have delivered a briefing on the future of education in South Africa amid an ongoing lockdown that is now being systematically eased.

The country continues to seek clarity on when the academic year will resume and in what form. (Read her speech in full at the end of this article).

Motshekga began by saying that her department had consulted broadly with as many stakeholders as possible before reaching their decisions, including a teleconference with more than 200 leaders in the education sector.

Labour had said what they would accept for teachers to go back to school, while parents gave input on letting children return, but the principle that schools would need to open at the right time was agreed on by all.

“We used the same document to consult with all stakeholders.” They then consolidated a report with all the responses they had received.

Motshekga said a school calendar was put forward proposing that the sector would reopen on 4 May to start preparing for the resumption of physical schooling, especially getting ready with face mask provisions and sanitation equipment, but that was only for consultation purposes. It would take two to three weeks to adequately prepare for schools to get back to some sort of capacity.

“We are proposing that we will phase grades in. When we say grades 7 and 12 have to come to school, they will have the whole school to themselves. The other grades will only come later.”

The department was targeting 18 May as the time by which most of the “boxes will be ticked”, though it was unclear what exactly she meant would be happening in schools at that stage.

She said the aim was to reopen most schools by the start of June, but only for grades 7 and 12.

The breakdown of the return was given as follows:

(1) Office-based staff to return to work on 4 May 2020. This is in line with the directive from the Department of Public Service and Administration.
(2) School Management Teams should return to work on the 11th May 2020. This, we have done to ensure that the School Management Teams prepare the schools prior to return of learners.
(3) Teachers return to work on 18 May 2020 and then
(4) Grade 12 and 7 learners go back to school on the 1st of June 2020.

“As I said earlier the plan is  to have officials in the schools to receive the material that is required for the safety measures but also to prepare the school for learning and teaching under the new conditions.”

In the days ahead the department would ensure that communication would be clearer to avoid any further “misunderstanding” or being “misquoted”, but in the meantime a decision to approve the calendar would apparently still need to be approved by Cabinet.

Motshekga said they wanted to ensure they did not contribute “at all” to the spread of the virus, “but at the same time we have to continue with the academic year”.

The minister expressed dismay that 962 schools had been robbed or vandalised in some way during the lockdown.

Earlier she said the department would provide face masks to all learners, and parents would be helped with an awareness programme.

Motshekga expressed her gratitude to 123 radio stations and six TV channels who had partnered with the department to bring lessons to millions of children to lessen the impact of the lockdown.

“We had 110 community stations who carried curriculum content on a daily basis. These initiatives are part of the broader efforts to prevent a total loss of the school year.”

She thanked communications companies that had zero-rated websites so that the cost of data was not an impediment to e-learning. But they had nevertheless only reached 20% of the impact that they normally would have, meaning that classroom-based learning would need to resume if basic education was to return to pre-lockdown levels.

“Examinations that were meant to start in May will be postponed and merged with the November exams.”

This would lead to the largest number of learners in history sitting for matric exams at one time (more than 1 million).

The minister called on parents to continue to pay their school fees, particularly so that SGB-appointed teachers could still be paid.

The department had developed standard operating procedures for dealing with Covid-19 in the basic education sector, which were developed in consultation with the department of health.

“We have guidance, again, for childcare facilities, managing absenteeism, how to clean institutions … we are proposing that no learners will be sharing a desk, there shall be no hugging.

“We are cognisant of the challenges around infrastructure,” but they were trying to work around it.

She acknowledged the difficulties around water and sanitation, but they would not allow any school to reopen unless it could implement sanitary practices.

There would also be new guidelines around safety and cleanliness in the school nutrition programme.

“Learners and teachers will be screened on a daily basis. If they have temperatures they will be isolated and the department of health will step in. We have to align our systems as departments and as government.” The transport department would also have to be involved.

A workstream was looking at the curriculum recovery framework, and to include lessons on dealing with Covid-19 and avoiding stigmatisation, particularly through the Life Orientation subject.

Higher education’s briefing in full

Earlier, Nzimande began the briefing by saying that the country was drawing on its “long history of struggle” to deal with the adversity brought by the epidemic.

“We are constrained by the very same challenges we seek to address, which are poverty, unemployment and inequality.”

He said the very problems they sought to solve were the obstacles standing in their way.

“Like all the other sectors in our society, we have been forced to take immediate and drastic measures to contain the spread of the virus and ensure our students and staff are protected.

“From the moment the president declared the Covid-19 pandemic to be a national disaster on Sunday 15 March, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, in conjunction with institutions, have put all our post-school educational institutions on early recess, and effectively suspended academic activity.”

He said all the measures followed within the strategic logic of the national Covid-19 strategy, and were informed by three overarching considerations, as captured in thematic focus #Savetheacademicyear and #Savelives.

“Firstly, whatever we do in the PSET sector, our responsibility is to lower the infection curve. Secondly, we must save the 2020 academic year, but not at the expense of lives. Thirdly, our efforts to save the academic year must avoid worsening the infection curve.

“We will be implementing a risk adjusted strategy for the entire PSET sector based on the national Covid-19 protocols, and will direct and manage the way institutions carry out their academic mandates at all times within this strategic and policy framework.”

He said government had decided not to resume with campus-based academic activity throughout the PSET sector, including all universities and TVET Colleges, both public and private, during the level four lockdown period.

“The only exception will be the controlled return of final year clinical training (medical) students, under strict conditions, to also directly assist with the health management campaign of the Department of Health.

“The risks of a return to normal campus-based activity for thousands of students and staff are simply too great and cannot function successfully outside of the national context of a general lockdown. Universities and TVET Colleges do not operate in a vacuum, but in a historically specific context.

“Against this background and with the endorsement by the Command Council, we have decided that the current period, from 1 May until South Africa transitions into a lower Covid-19 risk phase, must be used to put a number of critical interventions in place across the PSET system.”

He said this would include:

“Developing and implementing effective multi-modal remote learning systems (digital, analogue and physical delivery of learning materials) to provide a reasonable level of academic support to all our students at all institutions to resume academic learning and teaching support. As we are in an unprecedented emergency, we have to use all available tools to reach our students fully cognisant that it will not substitute the need for contact learning when conditions permit. This we will do making sure that No student or institution is left behind;

“Securing a universal access deal with the major Mobile Network Operators around data and connectivity to support remote learning; We believe we are close to reaching such a deal

“Where physical delivery of learning materials are required and where no immediate digital means are ready, to ensure that students are provided with instructional materials;

“Finalising the procurement and distribution of devices (laptops) for all students and its connectivity into digital remote learning platforms. In this regard, I would like to appeal to all students to ensure that they urgently register their correct numbers with their institutions so that when we finalise the educational rate for data, we can load it to the correct number so that all students can benefit.

“Strengthening our remote pedagogic teaching and learning models and sharing this across the TVET and University systems;

“Securing possible relief/stimulus/emergency funding to our public institutions in distress, including critical areas of financial support that may be required;

“Forging a compact for an equitable economic transformation that will ensure the advancement of the economic position of women, youth and persons with disabilities and that which promote localisation and industrialisation of our economy.”

He said all PSET campuses would be prepared for deep cleaning and biosafety protocols to ensure readiness for the eventual return of students and staff, and employing SMMEs and cooperatives to this task.

“Forging strong partnerships with both the Departments of Health and Basic Education to coordinate all efforts to successfully and safely implement the 2020 academic year and phasing in of the 2021 academic year.

“Our intention as a sector is to use this phase for planning and preparation at all our universities and TVET Colleges, and the mobilisation of resources. Our collective efforts during this period remain that of putting appropriate remote learning support systems in place for all our PSET institutions, using whatever means available, whilst preparing our institutional capacities for eventual return of students and staff once conditions permit such.”

Higher health

Nzimande said that when students returned to campuses, protocols would be in place for the maintenance of physical distance, access to hand sanitisers and protective masks, and continual deep cleaning of facilities.

“In addition, reopening will entail the 3,600 screening/testing of staff and students, with environmental cleaning of campuses and residences. We are also identifying sites for quarantine facilities in or near our institutions as may be required.

“We will also be providing mental health support and other forms of support necessary for staff and students throughout.

“In a joint effort, HIGHER HEALTH supported by the Department of Health, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), USAf, SACPO and other organisations, we have developed a comprehensive and clear set of PSET guidelines on managing Covid-19 in the sector, post lockdown.

“I therefore would like to take this opportunity to announce that these guidelines will be distributed formally to all universities, TVET and CET colleges and other sub-sectors for implementation.

National Student Financial Aid Scheme

NSFAS funding for all students would continue while the academic year was under way.

“The likely extension of the academic year will require additional funding to maintain allowances for students while they complete the academic year. As a department, we are therefore working with NSFAS in modelling these costs.

“Given the fact that all our universities have already disbursed learning materials allowances to their NSFAS-supported students, I would like to urge our students who have not as yet utilised their allowance to use their allowances to purchase appropriate electronic learning devices to support their learning during this time.”

Universities

The 2020 academic year would be reorganised to enable all institutions and their students to complete academic requirements, with the prospects of extending into early 2021 depending on the epidemiology and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic threat.

“The completion of the academic year 2020 and the start of academic year 2021 will be aligned with the plans of the Department of Basic Education in terms of the completion cycle of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, and the release of the NSC results.

“Any plans to reopen universities for contact learning over coming months will necessarily have to be calibrated within national Covid-19 health and safety parameters, taking into account issues of physical distancing, biosafety, and other risks.

“As a result of highly uncertain and fluid social context imposed by the viral threat on every aspect of South African society, it is not possible to determine with any measure of certainty the dates when physical return to campuses for the bulk of our students will be possible.

“Until we reach that point, every effort is now being made to put in place multiple and flexible methods of teaching and learning to support all our institutions and all our students.

“Within a national framework currently in place, each university will have to put plans in place to ensure its specific programmes, resources, and capacity are adequate to offer various forms of remote and flexible learning from the beginning of June 2020 until a full return to contact teaching and learning is feasible.

“Our institutions will continue to offer training and support to academic staff and students in respect of the necessary technologies and mechanisms required to support teaching and learning.

“The department, assisted by the Centre for Industrial and Scientific Research (CSIR), is working on developing a geospatial model to map the levels and quality of connectivity, bandwidth and distribution of learning and co-learning centres in various districts throughout South Africa, including municipal and other private facilities that might be used by students during this period. In addition, CSIR is modelling the ‘carrying capacity’ of our universities and TVET colleges in the scenario where it would be safe to return certain groups of students, and within the National Command Council COVID-19 regulatory parameters. I have indeed mobilised both my departments to support these efforts.”

The minister said that once completed, this work would help them to better plan future normalisation of activity on campuses while in the current period being able to access, where appropriate, decentralised learning facilities in various districts for study purposes.

“As a department we aware that the Covid-19 pandemic has created new significant financial pressure on universities.

“One such aspect which incurred significant losses as a result of the lockdown, is the stalled infrastructure projects on our various campuses, including student residences.

“To unblock this, government has made a provision for controlled relaxation to enable stalled infrastructure projects to be resumed from the 1st May, subject to adherence to strict health protocols. In the interim, we urge our universities to negotiate reduced liability terms with contractors.

Technical and vocational education and training

For the Technical and Vocational Education and Training sector, the 2020 Academic Year would also be restructured in line with the continuity of the lockdown under Level Four national protocols.

“This entails the need to restructure national examinations for the trimester, semester and full-year programmes.

“To this end, our TVET Colleges will have to reorganise the academic year to enable students to complete trimesters 1 and 2 for Engineering Studies, both semesters for Business Studies, and the full- year NC(V) programmes.

“Trimester 3, which should have taken place from August to November 2020, will be deferred to a date to be determined after consultation with stakeholders. This is to ensure that students are adequately prepared for the examinations.

A calendar detailing the commencement and end of classes, the examination sessions, as well as the short recess period would be released.

“In acknowledgement of the fact that almost all TVET college students do not have devices to work online, and furthermore do not have access to data, various other support initiatives have been explored to support students remotely, whilst simultaneously working on acquiring devices for all NSFAS students.”

Radio and TV broadcasts had already begun in key subjects, and were in the process of being expanded, and would continue for six months.

“The use of textbooks, e-Guides, past question papers, and uploaded YouTube videos, are strongly advocated and supported through bulk SMS-es from colleges and WhatsApp groups set up by lecturers.

“All these broadcasts and additional resources are available on the Department of Higher Education and Training website for ready and continuous access by students.”

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION, MRS ANGIE MOTSHEKGA. MP ON THE BASIC EDUCATION SECTOR RECOVERY PLANS FOR THE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS, FOLLOWING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN ADJUSTMENT OF REGULATIONS

Good afternoon!

The past few weeks have affected South Africans in ways we have never experienced before. This, there has been an increase in anxiety and confusion in relation with the status of schooling, and when learners would be allowed to go back into their schools.

This morning the National Coronavirus Command Council held a meeting to consider the plans for the basic education sector in the context of the COVID-19. Prior to the presentations of the plans at Cabinet we presented the plans at the National Coronavirus Command Council.

Since 26 March 2020 in the basic education sector we have held just less than fifty (50) meetings with different stakeholders. In each meeting we deliberated on the future of basic education, following the COVID-19-induced national state of disaster, resulting in the national lockdown.
Once principle guiding us was lowering the infection rate, ensuring safety but balance it against protecting lives.
At all times during the consultations we have started with the safety of our learners, teachers and employees. We made safety a priority.

The Consultation Process

We have consulted extensively in the sector. We have held robust discussions about what needs to be done to reopen our schools.
We have not forgotten why we are here, it is because of the coronavirus. As I said we held no less than 50 meetings in the sector to find a ways of getting back to work without compromising the lives of our learners, teachers and employees.

On the 7th and 26 of April we met and consulted South African Democratic Teacher Union (SADTU), National Professional Teachers of South Africa (NAPTOSA), Suid Afrikaanse Onderwysers Unie (SAOU), National Association of Teacher Union (NATU), and Professional Educators Union (PEU).
On the 10th and 26 of April we met the following organisations;
– Association for Special Education (SENASE)
– Education Management Association of South Africa (EMASA)
– South African Principal Association (SAPA
– (Federation of Association of Governing Bodies (FEDSAS)
– National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB)
– Governing Body Foundation (GBF)
On the 21st of April we consulted the Independent Examination Body (IEB), National Alliance of Independent Schools Associations (NAISA). On the 25th and 28th April we met with South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) and Southern Africa Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SABBATH) respectively.
On 13 and 17 April we consulted Umalusi, Education Labour Relations Council, South African Council for Educators, Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (ETDP SETA), and the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT).
And then on the 22nd of April we met civil society organisations that include; NASCEE, TeachSA, PSP, COUNT, Maths Centre, CASME, Nal’ibali, Molteno Institute for language and Literacy, Room to Lead, Project Literacy, Read, New Leaders Foundation, Symphonia for South Africa, PILO, Unicef, MIET, Save the Children, Section 27 , Equal Education Law Centre, DGMT, IPASA, ETDPSETA, Nedbank, First Rand, Standard Bank, Zenex, Anglo American, Old Mutual, Kagiso Trust, Trialogue, Deans Forum, Nelson Mandela University, University of Johannesburg, University of Free State, ILIFA, Smart Start.
In all the meetings the principle of opening of schools at the right time was accepted once all the conditions have been met.
They proposed that in order to deal with social distancing they requested the department to use community and town halls, platooning and shifting.
They requested the department to provide Personal Protection Equipment. The department should provide awareness campaign to parents particularly in rural areas. They also proposed that the phased in reopening should also include special schools.
We have also received representations from ordinary members of the public, who are concerned about the impact of the COVID-19, insofar as it affects schools. We appreciate all the proposals; it is really helpful.

We are also mindful of the huge size of the sector and the many responsibilities we have in our hands.

Learner support interventions

Following the announcement of the national lockdown by the President, the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) agreed to focus on a catch-up programme, and double our efforts towards the promotion of learning and teaching in homes; and towards the preparation a catch-up programme, when the children come back to schools.

We are grateful that our partners that the Department of Basic Education and partners have made great strides to reach out to as many learners as possible with the provision of curriculum support during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Department has used one-hundred and twenty-three (123) radio stations, and six (6) different television channels with a total reach of more than thirty-five (35) million people.
The initiative was put in place as an intervention to bring curriculum lessons to households across the country to assist learners as schools remain closed. This in a bid to minimise the impact of the Corona Virus on basic education.
In addition to the thirteen (13) radio stations of the SABC, which broadcast in all official languages, one-hundred and ten (110) community radio stations are also involved in carrying curriculum content on a daily basis.
The COVID-19 Learner Support programme is aimed at limiting the impact of the lockdown to the school calendar. The initiative is part of the broader efforts to prevent a total loss of school year, since the lockdown was announced by the President, as a measure to combat the spread of the Corona Virus, also known as COVID-19.
The radio lessons broadcast are providing curriculum support lessons to learners in various Grades, including Early Childhood Development (ECD). Some of the subjects covered, include Maths, Physical Sciences, English FAL, Life Sciences, and Accounting. A variety of African languages, are also covered under the ECD basket. Learners are encouraged to check their local listings for the exact slots for radio.

We also made available resources online for those who can access such online resources. We appreciate the contribution by our partners for the zero-rated platforms, which carry curriculum content for use in the current situation of the lockdown.

We acknowledge that all these efforts are not perfect; however, we needed to put in place measures to close the vacuum that would have existed as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Impact of COVID-19 on basic education

The impact of COVID-19 will be felt for a long time to come.

We have taken a decision to postpone the May/June Matric rewrite examinations. The exams were due to be written by more than three hundred and fifty thousand (350 000), mainly part-time candidates, from the 04 May and conclude on 26 June 2020.

Due to the lockdown, we have not been able to complete our preparations, which include the printing and distribution of questions papers, the appointment of invigilators, markers, and the general readiness in marking centres.

The examinations will therefore, be merged with the November examinations. A new time-table for the merged examinations will be communicated urgently, as part of preparing the system for the biggest matric examination ever seen in the country. We estimate that one million and one-hundred thousand candidates, will sit for the end-of-year matric examinations in this merged format, which includes the Amended Senior Certificate and National Senior Certificate.

The Corona Virus is still with us, and it will be with us for some time. It is for that reason that we have taken a decision to cancel all our school enrichment programmes, such as Spelling BEE, the South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod (popularly known as the SASCE), school sports, school trips, and assemblies. All of these, will not be permitted in schools, until such time that we inform the public otherwise. I will speak about the measures to be implemented in schools later.

Due to the infection rate, it is clear that we need to continue to work together, to contain the transmission of the virus. As a sector, we have to play our part together with all our key stakeholders.

On School Fees

The CEM took note of the concern, regarding the issues of school fees. We indicated from the start, that school fees are payable, where the children attend fee-paying schools. We received reports that in some schools, parents did not pay fees; and this has affected the salaries of SGB-appointed teachers. It was agreed that provinces would look into the matter, to find an amicable but implementable solution. In the meantime, we urge all parents to continue paying school fees. If you cannot pay, because your circumstances have changed as a result of the COVID-19, please approach the school, and communicate your challenges with them.

The Recovery Plan

In the past weeks, we have worked with provinces to prepare for the reopening of schools.

Each province, district, circuit and school, must have a practical and comprehensive catch-up plan to be implemented. The plans must talk to the risk profiles of the areas in which schools are located, and this must be based on the infection rate in the specific geographic areas.

The decisions that are taken, are based on scientific considerations. We have been advised to adopt a phased approach in the reopening of schools. Uppermost in our planning, is the health and safety of our school communities – particularly learners and teachers.

Standard Operating Procedures for the containment and management of COVID -19
As part of our preparations among other things we have developed Standard Operating Procedures for the containment and management of the Corona Virus for childcare facilities, schools, and school communities. This we did, in consultation with the Department of Health. The Standard Operating Procedures will provide guidelines for all administrators on the steps to be undertaken in order to prevent the spread, and manage cases of COVID-19, including:

• Guidance for childcare facilities and schools on preventing the spread of the Corona Virus;

• Role of childcare facilities and schools in responding to the COVID-19;
• Management of COVD-19 cases in a childcare facility or school;
• Guidelines for Heads of Departments and Supervisors on COVID-19 – procedures regarding employees;
• Management and monitoring of absenteeism is schools;
• Management of learner transport measures;
• Closure of a unit / component / office / department, if an employee tested positive for COVID-19; and
• How to clean educational establishments, where there were learners, staff members, or others, with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Pillars of our sector plan

In our case, the CEM agreed on a number of steps that must be taken to ensure that the health and safety of our learners and teachers are not compromised. These measures are contained in the Standard Operating Procedures Booklet, which will be used in all schools.

Measures contained in our plans are as follows for social distancing;

• Physical distances in classrooms, includes not more than 2 learners sharing desks;
• No hugging or handshaking;
• Direct contact must be avoided;
• Cloth masks to be worn by learners and teachers at all times;

• No mass public events. All sports matches, choral practices and festivals, eisteddfods are not permitted; and
• Extra classes should be arranged in small groups that maintain social distancing.

Infrastructure and Furniture:

• Sanitize classrooms prior to the start of school day;
• sanitize hands on entering of classrooms;
• Limit movement of learners between classes; and
• No clustering of desks in classrooms.

Transport:

• We are working with the Department of Transport to ensure that buses are sanitized prior to start of all trips;
• Everybody to sanitize hands on entering of the buses;
• The distance between learners in the buses must be managed; and
• The wearing of masks throughout the school day, starting before boarding transport, is compulsory.

Remedial measures

The provincial education departments have identified three thousand five hundred schools that critical water supply challenges. These schools are spread all over the country, except for the Western Cape. The highest numbers of these schools are in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

The Department of Water and Sanitation has initiated an Emergency Water Supply programme, through which water tanks will be installed at critical supply points; and portable water will be delivered to these tanks, using water trucks. The DBE will participate in this initiative to get water tanks installed at the identified schools, and to get portable water delivered to these tanks.

Basic hygiene and sanitation package

A basic and essential hygiene and sanitation package has been developed, and provinces are procuring the critical items. These, include cleaning and disinfection materials, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), sanitizers, hand-washing soap, gloves, cloth masks and thermometers.

The DBE has developed Guidelines for schools on maintaining hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide recommendations on the proper cleaning, and use of Personal Protective Equipment, based on risk exposure including:

• Basic principles of infection prevention and control;
• Risk reduction methods for schools, classrooms, toilets or bathrooms, offices, and food preparation areas;
• Daily duties of cleaners; and
• How to use Personal Protective Equipment.

Screening and testing

• Screening of learners and educators will be done at the reopening of schools, starting with Grades 7 and 12. Temperature checks will be administered; and
• Learners or staff members who present with raised temperatures, will then be considered for isolation and testing.

On the Reopening of Schools

There are preconditions for the reopening of schools. We have developed a curriculum recovery framework, which is guided by the following principles:

• Responsiveness to the national COVID-19 programme to ensure that the national regulations, programmes and protocols are strictly adhered to;
• Inclusion and equity to ensure that all learners, and in particular the most vulnerable, access the planned programme;
• Targeted approach, taking cognisance of the unique needs of schools, phases and Grades;
• Size and scope to ensure that the curriculum plans are determined in a flexible way, guided by the size and the scope of the crisis, a short- or long-term lockdown, and the implications that this will have on teaching and learning;
• Partnerships that promote full participation and ownership of all key stakeholders;
• Safety and security in order to maintain the safety, the health and the well-being of teachers, learners and support staff;
• Time management, as the time is of essence in the recovery plan, and a focus on skills, knowledge and values;
• Nationally coordinated approach, through which, the DBE will provide clear directives of what is expected of each provincial education departments, followed by strict monitoring of compliance to the given directives.

Orientation and training as well as psychosocial support programmes

We have decided on an orientation and training programme for all stakeholders in the sector.

The purpose of the orientation and training programme is to enable learners, educators and non-teaching staff to adjust to and become familiar with the special arrangements at schools, following the outbreak of the Corona Virus in South Africa.
The orientation programme provides guidelines for interaction with learners, parents, educators and non-teaching staff in the school community. All learners, educators and support staff will receive orientation and training at the start of the school reopening, commencing with Grades 7 and 12.
We are aware of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on families and society in general. It is unprecedented, and as a result, an increase in social, mental, psychological and emotional difficulties amongst learners, educators and officials, is anticipated, due to losses and trauma experienced through COVID-19. Schools, as social institutions, are serviced by the Psychosocial Support Services of the Departments of Social Development and Health. We have also been working closely with other departments in the Social Cluster.
In addition to these, the Basic Education Sector has psychologists and social workers, who had prior training on counseling. They will be able to use their skills to support schools. We are mindful of the needs of learners with disabilities. The DBE is working with provinces to ensure that special schools are adequately provided for in all the plans we have put together.

On the revised School Calendar

As I had indicated earlier the CEM was not rigid in looking about the reopening date. In our school readiness plans, we needed to make sure that they are aligned to the Risk Adjusted Plans, taking into account epicenters of the spread of the Corona Virus in the different provinces and the Metros.

The original school calendar year, started on 15 January 2020, and would have ended on 04 December 2020.

This morning the National Coronavirus Command Council approved that the School Calendar for 2020 be adjusted as follows;

(1) Office-based staff to return to work on 4th May 2020. This is in line with the directive from the Department of Public Service and Administration.
(2) School Management Teams should return to work on the
11th May 2020. This, we have done to ensure that the School Management Teams prepare the schools prior to return of learners.
(3) Teachers return to work on 18 May 2020 and then
(4) Grade 12 and 7 learners go back to school on the 1st of June 2020.
As I said earlier the plan to have officials in the schools to receive the material that is required for the safety measures but also to prepare the school for learning and teaching under the new conditions.

The school calendar will be gazetted once the administrative work has been completed.
Special arrangements will be made to permit learners and teachers, who are currently in other towns or cities, provinces and/or neighboring countries, other than those where their respective schools are located, to return to their schools and places of residence.

A special dispensation will also put in place for learners who experience barriers to learning, taking into account the severity of barrier.

On the vandalism of schools

We want to express our deep concern about what is happening in our schools since the lockdown was imposed. Province have reported that nine-hundred and sixty two (962) schools that have been vandalised in almost all our seventy-five (75) districts. The theft, vandalism and burglaries have taken place in all provinces. In almost all the incidents, administration blocks and laboratories have been targeted, and ICT equipment have been stolen.

Provinces have also reported that foodstuff, meant for the school nutrition programme, have also been stolen. The Umlazi District in KZN, is the hardest hit, with forty-one (41) schools affected. This is shocking and disturbing. We are extremely concerned by this level of criminality.

We welcome the work done by the Police thus far, in arresting the suspects, some of whom, were found in possession of the items believed to have been stolen from the schools.

The barbaric acts of vandalism, must be condemned by all of us. We cannot afford a situation where the education of our children is further compromised by criminals, over and above what the Corona Virus has brought upon us.

We appeal to members of the public, to work with the Police, to ensure that all the culprits in all the incidents of vandalism, theft and burglaries of our schools, are convicted and jailed for long periods.

Conclusion

We will work together with all stakeholders to ensure that the plans are implemented to the letter. We will establish COVID-19 Control Teams in every province and every district, circuit and school. We will intensify our communication modalities to ensure that communities, parents, teachers and learners know and understand the challenges faced, and the remedies that are necessary to keep everyone within our school premises safe and healthy. We will need lots of help from the community to protect learners and teachers from home to school and back. It has to be a working partnership.

I want to thank all our partners (they are too many to mention), who have come on board to support the work being done to rescue the 2020 school year. The COVID-19 has been a revelation. It has demonstrated that we can find each other quickly, work together to find solutions for the good of the country.

It is our view that the gains made in this crisis, must be maintained going forward. The unity among stakeholders has been phenomenal, and it shows that as a people, we have potential to grow South Africa together. We have a lot of work to do still, the virus is still with us, and it will remain so for some time to come. But through a collaborative effort, we can, and we will overcome.

We appeal to each one of us, to cooperate; and ensure that we put the interest of the children on top of the priority list.

Thank you

Issued by GCIS on behalf of the Department of Basic Education
30 April 2020

You can follow the briefing live in the livestream from the SABC below:

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.