POLL | Were you comfortable sending your child to school on Monday?

As schools started reopening on Monday across SA, pupils in grades 7 and 12 were the first to return after a three-month hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the national lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the disease.

Schools were expected to reopen on June 1, but this was postponed following consultations between basic education minister Angie Motshekga, unions and other education stakeholders. The postponement was due to some schools not being compliant with Covid-19 safety requirements, reported TimesLIVE. 

On Sunday, Motshekga assured the nation during a media briefing that most schools were ready to reopen and that more was being done to equip the remaining schools with necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), water and sanitation.

“We can now say with confidence that about 95% of our schools have been provided with the Covid-19 related imperatives. The sector, with the assistance of our partners, will strive to deal with the remaining 5% to ensure the unfettered rights to health, safety and basic education for all South Africans are protected,” said the minister.

Teachers and pupils from various Johannesburg schools, including Sparrow Combined Technical School in Sophiatown and Tsakani Primary in Kagiso, told TimesLIVE on Monday that they were eager and ready to continue with their studies. 

Some parents were anxious about sending their children to school but trusted teachers to follow the strict safety measures.