This is when your child can go back to school

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga has announced new dates for pupils to return to class.

The new dates were published on Tuesday in the Government Gazette.

According to the gazette, grades 3 and 10 at ordinary public schools will go back on July 20, in just two weeks' time. They will be going back with:

• Schools of skill: year 3;
• Schools for pupils with severe intellectual disabilities (SID): grades R an 3 and final year (occupational);
• Schools with pupils with severe and profound intellectual disabilities (LSPID): year 3; and
• Schools with autistic pupils: final year (18 years and above).

The following grades will return to school on July 27:

• Grades 1 and 2;
• Schools of skill: year 2;
• Schools for pupils with SID: grades 1 and 2;
• Schools with LSPID: years 1 and 2, and;
• Schools with autistic pupils: junior group (below 13 years).

Pupils in grade 4, grade 9, year 1 in schools of skill and schools with autistic pupils: senior group (13 years and above) will return to school on August 17.

On August 31, the following grades will go back to school:

• Grade 5;
• Grade 8;
• and schools for pupils with SID: grades 4 and 5.

"A member of the executive council responsible for education in a province, who is unable to comply with the phased return of learners and officials to school, must, at least seven days before the date identified for the return of the respective grades, submit a report to the minister for concurrence or further determination, which report must include the reasons for the non-compliance; and a plan with the proposed dates for the phased return of learners and officials in the respective grades," Motshekga said.

Last week, the government decided not to allow all pupils, who were scheduled to return to class this week, to go back to school.

The basic education department had also postponed the return to school of grades 7 and 12 pupils by a week to June 8.