Basic education minister Angie Motshekga's briefing on schools reopening postponed

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga's scheduled briefing about the reopening of schools was on Sunday postponed, causing widespread confusion over whether Grade 7s and matrics will be back in the classroom on Monday morning.

She was initially scheduled to address the media “to provide an update on the readiness for the reopening of schools” at 4pm on Sunday, and then the time was later moved to 6pm.

Now the briefing is said to be happening on Monday morning at 11am.

“The media briefing by the minister of basic education, Angie Motshekga, scheduled for today, 31 May at 18h00, has been rescheduled due to the minister being engaged in further consultations on the readiness for the reopening of schools,” her office said in a statement.

The Sunday Times reported on Sunday that the reopening of schools for grade 7s and matrics on Monday was unlikely. This after a marathon meeting between Motshekga, MECs, teachers' unions and governing body associations on Saturday night.

Several sources said Motshekga acknowledged to the five unions and three major governing body associations that met her that “the system is not completely ready”.

The education spokesperson was not immediately available on Sunday evening to clarify whether grade 7s and matrics were expected back at school on Monday morning.

The SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) has told parents to keep their children home.

But the Western Cape seems geared to start school, saying on social media site Twitter that their schools would open on Monday.