Faizel Patel – 01/06/2020
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says the department will use this week to ensure that all safety measures and protocols are in place for the return of pupils to schools.
Motshekga on Monday morning apologised to South Africans for the inconvenience caused on Sunday when her department at the 11th hour announced that the phased reopening of schools would be postponed to 8 June and that grade 7s and matriculants will not go back to school on Monday morning as planned.
The minister was speaking at a media briefing from the Sunrise View Secondary school, in Rustenburg.
Motshekga says following an assessment, the basic education department realised that it would have been risky to have a blanket approach to the reopening of schools.
She says the health and safety of learners, teachers and all other support staff are of major concern.
“We will use this week to mop up to ensure all necessary steps are in place at schools. Teachers who have received their PPE’s are back at work, and effective learning will resume on 8 June. We will use this week for induction and orientation.”
Motshekga says the department is very hopeful that all outstanding challenges they unearth will be addressed during this period so that teaching can commence.
“My view is that any further delays poses a very serious threat to the system and the future of learners that are yearning for. It is poor learners who are going to be highly disadvantaged if we keep on postponing.”
She says parents who feel anxious about sending their kids to school must apply to the provincial education department is because basic education for children aged 6 and 15 is compulsory by law.”
“A parent who chooses not to send a learner to school is obliged to apply for home education in terms of the relevant section of the South African school act.”
She says the May/June examinations for candidates who registered for the National and Senior Certificate is going to be administered in December.
Motshekga says officials would meet again on Thursday to monitor the state of readiness before schools could reopen.
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