Debbie Schafer, Wes-Kaapse minister van onderwys. Foto: Deon Raath
- Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer is disappointed by the four-week closure of schools.
- She said she was in favour of a two-week break, recognising that many teachers worked through lockdown.
- On Friday, Premier Alan Winde said his province would investigate its options.
Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer has expressed her disappointment after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in Thursday that public schools will be taking a four-week break.
After the president’s announcement on the closure of public schools for four-weeks – from 27 July until 24 August – there have been a mixed reactions, from teachers’ unions to provincial MECs.
Reacting to the announcement, Schäfer said she was not surprised by the closure of schools.
“I am disappointed, but not surprised that the president has capitulated to union demands for the closure of schools.”
She said she was in favour of a two-week break from school, recognising that many of teachers had worked throughout the lockdown, and a break would give them time to recharge and reduce anxiety levels.
However, she feels that a four-week closure is against the interests of pupils and is not based on the medical evidence currently available.
Schäfer said that the four weeks was going to cause immeasurable damage to the children and the economy.
Please let me clarify one thing – my tweet saying “don’t tell me what to do” was in response to another tweet. It was ABSOLUTELY NOT directed at the President!
— Debbie Schafer (@DebbieSchafer) July 24, 2020
“People who continue calling for schools to shut down clearly either do not understand the implications on the system and the children, or do not care”, she said in a statement on Friday.
‘The poor who are going to suffer’
The MEC argued that the decision to close schools was the height of irrationality, and that wat is not backed up by the facts.
“I believe that this decision is going to cost South Africa dearly in the future, and it is once again the poor who are going to suffer the most”.
Schafer also explained a tweet that some perceived to be directed at the president over his decision. On Thursday evening, she posted an isolated tweet: “Don’t tell me what to do.”
On Friday, she said the tweet was in response to someone else on Twitter, who said she should accept the decision.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde on Friday also said the province was investigating its options, News24 earlier reported.
Speaking at a digicon on the special adjustments budget, Winde said the province opposed the four-week closure during the consultation period.
“In my own experience, being on the ground specifically in highly vulnerable, high density areas where our hotspots were showing the numbers, I am convinced it’s safer at schools than not.”
He claimed that there was no science or data used to advise whether schools should be open or closed.
“And you could see the absence in this process. It’s the unions wagging the dog here.”
