Durban parents refuse to send pupils to 11 schools until after Covid-19 peak

Parents of pupils at 11 schools in the Bayhaven area, in Chatsworth, did not send their children to school on Monday.

Speaking on behalf of the chairpersons of the governing bodies, Brandon Pillay confirmed that pupils of Chatsworth Secondary, Protea Secondary, Southlands Secondary, Merryhill Primary, Summerfield Primary, Oceanview Primary, Fairhaven Primary, Evergreen Primary, Coedmore Primary, Excelsior Primary and KwaVulindlebe School for the Deaf were not at school on Monday.

“The educators are there but the pupils are not. Parents have not sent their children to school because we are concerned about the safety of all our learners and educators within our schools,” he told TimesLIVE.

In a statement, the school governing bodies said they strongly believe that their schools should remain closed until the virus has reached a peak and the number of cases starts to decrease.

“We call upon all parents to keep your children at home with immediate effect while we are consulting with the department of education, principals and teacher unions. It is in the best interest of our children and communities that we heed this call and keep our children at home.

“We have discussed with all SGBs within our area and have agreed that we should use alternate methods of teaching through WhatsApp groups, online classes, local radio and print media and the collection of worksheets and learning material from educators in a controlled manner.”