Some schools telling learners to go home due to lack of PPE

Some across the country are reportedly turning learners away as Grade 6s and 11s return to class on Monday.

Parents went on Twitter to complain over their children being told to go home due to the schools lacking personal protective equipment (PPE).

According to one user, some schools are reportedly allowing 40 learners in a classroom despite only 20 learners being allowed to be in one class in order to maintain rules of social distancing.

@Lesufi @DBE_SA I have a big issue now. My grade 6 daughter went to school today accompanied by my sister. She is being told that the kids will be 40 in a class and we were originally told the kids will be 20 in a class.

— Kholofelo Maunye (@felomaunye) July 6, 2020

There have been reports of ongoing protests on Monday morning outside the Protea South Primary School in Soweto.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has been trending on the platform since she announced on Sunday that only Grade 6s and 11s would return to the classroom while institutions that were ready for the return of Grade Rs were allowed to reopen as well.

The minister noted, however, that all Grade R learners will be back at school by the end of July.

Twitter users were also seen calling for Motshekga’s head, urging government for her to be removed as minister from the department of education along with from various interested parties and some unions, due to her handling of the back-to-school transition.

This also comes in light of recent reports suggesting that a pending Cabinet reshuffle was on the cards for government.

Motshekga confirmed that 968 of the country’s 26,000 schools across the country were forced to close and re-open because of Covid-19 since classes resumed for Grades 7 and 12 on 8 June, while three learners, some of whom were not at school, died in the process.

Meanwhile, the National Teachers’ Union (NATU) and Democratic Alliance (DA)  raised their concerns over additional teachers not being recruited to assist in teaching split classrooms or substituting for teachers with comorbidities, who were at a higher risk of complications if they contract Covid-19 and might be required to self-isolate.

The maladministration we as parents and our kids are subjected to. My daughter and fellow school mates got turned back from their school gate this morning reason being that PPEs were not yet delivered by the district,How about u alert parents b4 hand #DBE @Lesufi @AngieMotshekga

— Madam_Antelope (@Phuti207) July 6, 2020

@Lesufi this school does not have PPE for Grade 11. leaners are told nof to continue to school till further notice. pic.twitter.com/cR2T0k1mVc

— Cllr Strike rambani (@RambaniStrike) July 6, 2020

@angie_motshekga Mrs angie motshega i an highly dissapointed right now,as a parent of a grade 6 learner…the mqiniswa primary school is not ready for grade 6s because the have not yet received PPEs….we as parents had to return home with our kids.

— Phindiwe33 (@phindiwe33) July 6, 2020

@angie_motshekga I've send my child at school this morning but teachers send them away, they say they must come back in September 7

— Mangie💙 (@MangiexLh) July 6, 2020

@Lesufi @padisago primary school on Soshanguve kids(grade 6)are returned home,they say they haven't received ppe from Department of Education

— Thabangmaisela (@Thabangmaisela1) July 6, 2020

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