KZN education department to hire 6,000 people to conduct screenings at schools

The KwaZulu-Natal education department will deploy 6,000 people to screen teachers and pupils at schools in the province from June 1.

In a communique sent out to district directors on Tuesday, the department said that people employed to do screenings at schools would fall under the department of public works' extended public works programme (EPWP).

Principals and school governing bodies were given until Wednesday to identify people within their communities who would be beneficiaries of the programme.

In a communique, the department of public works said those employed would be employed until August 31 with an estimated budget of R38m for payment of monthly stipends of R2,000 a month.

“The department of education approached the social protection, community and human development cluster for urgent assistance for a number of key functions. In particular, to conduct Covid-19 screenings while the department of health will be conducting training and providing required PPE to the EPWP beneficiaries,” said head of public works Dr Gaster Sharpley in the communique.

Schools were requested to identify one person who would be a beneficiary and that person would work 20 days a month.

KZN premier Sihle Zikalala along with education MEC Kwazi Mshengu will be visiting a number of schools in the province on Thursday where close to 91,000 teachers are expected to be back at school.

The province is home to the most grade 12 and grade 7 pupils.