Schools identified as one of the biggest threats in terms of COVID-19 transmission – Here is what you need to know

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the outbreak of Covid-19 a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act, he further announced a range of extraordinary interventions to curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

Following the President’s announcement, Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga announced that they have urgently convened a meeting of the Council of Education Ministers (CEM).

The purpose of the meeting was to brief provinces on the outcome of the Cabinet meeting and to discuss with them the practical implications of the President’s announcement last night. They shared with them the reasons behind the Cabinet decision to declare a national state of disaster.

An assessment was done on the current state of affairs regarding COVID-19 and it was felt that drastic steps were needed. The number of cases has been rising rapidly and it was decided that urgent steps were needed to contain the spread.

Schools, in particular, have been identified as one of the biggest threats in terms of the transmission. They considered that closing schools should take place but they also needed to give parents time to prepare for it. The drastic step of closing schools has become necessary but the department also needed to ensure that measures are put in place to mitigate the impact.

On the Closing of Schools: 

In accordance with the pronouncement by the President on 15 March 2020, schools will be closed from 18 March 2020.

As a sector, it has been determined that schools should resume on 14 April 2020; unless determined differently where it will then be further communicated with parents. Ten school days will be lost as a result of the school closures. To compensate for lost days the June holidays will be cut short by a week.

Once opened schools will be encouraged to extend tuition hours. It must be noted that this directive affects all schools; public ordinary schools, independent schools and private. The technical aspects of these measures will be addressed by the concerned parties. The President has declared a national disaster which means that we are operating under extraordinary conditions.

Recovery Plans:

The CEM meeting agreed on a number of steps that must be taken to ensure that education is not compromised. Each province, district, circuit and school must have a practical and comprehensive catch-up plan to be implemented. As things stand right now and based on expert advice, we should be able to manage coronavirus such that the negative impact on schooling is minimized.

All mass events of more than 100 people scheduled for March and April will be postponed or cancelled with immediate effect. The activities include the South African School Choral Eisteddfod (SASCE), all school sports programmes and of course assemblies.

The Department will intensify the Read to Lead campaign with its partners to ensure that it is used to assist learners and parents alike to get involved in literacy initiatives. Schools are urged to give learners work they can do at home with the supervision of parents. Schools are encouraged to give learners workbooks and worksheets to be used to keep learners active in curriculum-based initiatives.

Enrichment programmes:

The school enrichment programmes will also be affected by the arrangements. The Department will this week, provide guidelines on how the school enrichment programmes are going to be managed because they want to ensure that those in matric, in particular, are not disadvantaged.

Due to the infection rate, we need to work together to contain the transmission of the virus and as a sector, we have to play our part together with all our stakeholders. There are basic things we can do.

The Department, therefore, appeals to South Africans familiarise themselves with the directives of the Department of Health and NICD.

• Follow the directives from the President and the Minister; read the circular and share the content with parents
• Be vigilant and look out for symptoms of fever (more than 38 degrees Celsius), coughing and shortness of breath.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Practise safe cough etiquette. Cough or sneeze into your flexed elbow or into a tissue and immediately dispose of the tissue in a safe place e.g.bin.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as well as handshakes
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, spaces and areas of the school.
• Identify, isolate and report learners, teachers or support staff showing symptoms especially if they have had contact with, or have travelled to highly affected countries as reported by the WHO.

Motshekga stated that she will write to all provinces this morning to inform them that the decree by the President is binding on all of them and that they should work together to implement as directed.

“It is time that we get parents to play their part in the education of their children. 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,” Motshekga further stated.

“As a sector, we will encourage our staff to get tested where possible and make sure we help those that need it. As a sector, we will continue to consult with our stakeholders such as teacher unions and SGBs to deliberate on these matters.”

The MECs would monitor schools and ensure that all work is done accordingly.