Department's plan for 'staggered' return to school gets the nod

A teachers' union and two governing body associations have thrown their weight behind the basic education department's proposal to reopen schools on a "staggered basis".

The proposal, published on TimesLIVE, means pupils only go back two grades at a time.

If the proposal is given the thumbs up by cabinet and the national health department  -and the lockdown is lifted on April 30 - matric and Grade 7 pupils will most likely be the first to return to school on May 6.

The department has proposed that Grade 11 and Grade 6 pupils return on May 20, grades 10 and 5 on June 3, grades 9 and 4 on June 17, grades 8 and 3 on July 1, grades 2 and 1 on July 8, and Grade R on July 15.

It was also suggested that teachers return on May 4.

These proposals and a raft of others are contained in a draft document put together by the department and titled “2020 recovery plan for post Covid-19 lockdown”. The 39-page document, which TimesLIVE has seen, was discussed with teacher unions and governing body associations this week.

Basil Manuel, executive director of the National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa, said that while they had some concerns, they supported the proposed implementation of the "staggered approach" to resume schooling.

"There will be the checking and testing of pupils, and there will be a lot of people on school premises such as testers and other healthcare professionals.

"If you bring everybody in, the chances of infection are much higher. With a smaller group, as they come in you can spread them around so there's no cross-contamination," said Manuel.

He said, however, that the intervals between the first group being admitted and the next group "seems a little large".

"We do have a view that Grade 1s should come back much earlier than July as they are the ones who have lost out a lot," he said.

Manuel said  their understanding was that when schools reopened, all teachers would report for duty.

"However, our view currently is that teachers who are not involved with teaching a grade should not be there as they will just be sitting around at school.

"Preparing work for the pupils in their grade could be effectively done at home, where it is safer," said Manuel.

Matakanye Matakanye, general secretary of the National Association of School Governing Bodies, said if all pupils arrived at school on the same day "you won't be able to comply with physical distancing requirements".

He said if there was a small number of children, they would be able to adjust and comply with the requirements for physical distancing.

"By the time the next two grades are allowed in, schools will know the problems they are facing and how to manage and monitor it."

Paul Colditz, chief executive of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools, said there was an expectation that the reopening would be "phased-in" because there was huge overcrowding in some schools.

"The management of the whole issue has to be done very carefully because you have the sanitisation requirements, the washing of hands and the physical distancing issues.How can you apply physical distancing when you have 1,000 children storming into the school?"

He believed all teachers should be at schools although their pupils may not be there.

"These teachers will have the opportunity to prepare for the return of their pupils and it will give them an advantage. They could even produce online lessons."

According to the education department document, if  matric and Grade 7 pupils return on May 6, they would have lost 25 days of schooling.

Because pupils from the other grades would be returning to class much later, grades 11 and 6 would have lost 32 days; grades 10 and 5, 44 days; grades 9 and 4, 53 days; and grades 8 and 3, 63 days. Grades 2 and 1 would have lost 68 days, and Grade R pupils would have lost 73 days.