Gauteng legislature warns against ‘senseless and suicidal’ attempt to reopen schools
“It’s clear that provinces are struggling to reopen. Not all of them; Western Cape and Gauteng say they are [ready],” Colditz said.
In April, Motshekga indicated that several non-negotiable measures needed to be in place before schools could reopen.
Colditz said, while the state of readiness of other provinces was uncertain, the federation believed there was still time for them to get things in order. He added that they were concerned that not all provinces were in the same state.
Too complicated
The department is reportedly considering a proposal that would see schools in Covid-19 hotspots not reopening in June.
The National Professional Teachers Organisation of SA(Naptosa), however, said it did not support the approach because it would leave many pupils behind.
“It’s far too complicated. What will you do with matriculants, with people who travel in and out of those areas? Can we leave them behind? And that is the difficulty, and so we don’t support that [approach],” Naptosa executive director Basil Manuel said.
Manuel said that, while the Western Cape and Gauteng had said they were ready, the union believed there were still dozens of schools in the provinces that had not yet received PPEs.
Manuel added that the unions would be engaging with the minister later in the day before she makes her address to the nation.
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Fedsas, on the other hand, said it believed schools should open simultaneously, but it would be in the best interests of people to have the ones in hotspots remain closed.
Colditz said his federation was calling for Motshekga to rope in medical experts to educate concerned parents who were reluctant for schools to reopen.
He said a snap survey conducted by Fedsas showed that some parents preferred for schools to remain closed, adding that he believed reasons behind that were that parents did not have enough knowledge on the risks and safety measures – and state of readiness of schools.
Colditz said that medical experts had been saying that children were the least susceptible to infection and that their transmission rates were not very high.
“My understanding is that it is safer for children to be at school than at home. And obviously, when children are at school, you can teach them about [prevention of disease], whereas when they are at home, you don’t know what they are being taught,” Colditz said.
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