President Cyril Ramaphosa (Supplied: GCIS)
- President Cyril Ramaphosa says no school should reopen unless it has put in place all necessary Covid-19 precautions.
- He has called for transparency about how prepared each school is.
- He says concerns from teachers and parents are justified.
In the wake of confusion about the reopening of schools, President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged schools who are not prepared and have not put in place the necessary Covid-19 precautions not to reopen.
In his weekly newsletter, the president said schools need to be transparent about how prepared they are for reopening.
“As parents, teachers, governing bodies and government, we are in agreement that no school should reopen until all the necessary precautions are in place. There needs to be transparency about the level of preparedness of each of the schools,” Ramaphosa said.
Schools across the country were meant to open on Monday for Grade 7 and 12 pupils but late on Sunday evening Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced that schools would reopen for pupils on 8 June. This came after concerns from school governing bodies, unions and parents over the risk of kids returning to school amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ramaphosa had planned to visit schools around Rustenburg in North West to monitor the reopening of schools but that visit was cancelled on Sunday.
The president said concerns from teachers and parents over the reopening of schools were justified.
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“Though we may feel anxious and fearful as our sons and daughters leave our care, we must draw courage from the fact that every effort is being made to protect them,” he said.
Protocols
Ramaphosa said if all protocols and precautions were maintained, the risk posed by the coronavirus would be minimised.
He said documents with standard operating procedures have been distributed to all schools and cover issues like training and the orientation of screeners, timetable realignment and configuring classrooms to meet social distancing requirements.
“We are continuing with the process of delivering personal protective equipment and ensuring the availability of water and sanitation services. Learning, once it commences, will take place under strict conditions with a correctly limited number of learners and students,” Ramaphosa said.
He said it was a collective responsibility to ensure the learning environment is safe.
“As parents, you have entrusted us with the welfare and safety of your children. It is a responsibility we do not take lightly. In the days and weeks to come, we will closely monitor the return to school,” he said.
