Parents protest outside Bergville Primary School over reopening

As Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga addresses the nation on school readiness, a group of parents and community members are protesting outside the Bergville Primary School in Cape Town, fearing the opening of schools will put their children in danger.

“No to unsafe schools” and “Open parliament before you open schools”, are among the messages on posters parents have pinned to their chests while they demand a relook at the department’s decision to reopen schools.

With the winter season creeping in, one parent said she was anxious as the number of infections was still rising.

Teacher unions have called on schools not to reopen amid confusion caused by government’s last-minute postponement of Motshekga’s briefing.

Motshekga said schools’ readiness were at different levels. Noting the challenges the education department was faded with, she said ready schools would not be stopped from reopening for Grade 7 and 12.

Those schools did, however, need to be adequately prepared, Motshekga said.

Motshekga’s address comes as the Educators Union of South Africa confirmed it had submitted an urgent court application against the department on their plans to reopen schools.

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