'Teachers' fears limit learning': Pupils share views on school during Covid-19

Pupils say Covid-19 hygiene protocols at schools help them feel safer than at home, but teachers' fears are having an effect on them.

This comes as basic education minister Angie Motshekga said on Wednesday that schools would "remain open until further notice" despite calls to close schools by the SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu), National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA and Educators' Union of SA (Eusa).

Education department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said Motshekga would this week meet various stakeholders. The purpose of the meetings, which will conclude on Friday, was to discuss the peak of the pandemic and its relation to schools.

"The engagements will inform the minister's proposals to the cabinet at the weekend. Once all the engagements have been concluded, an announcement will be made to create certainty for the sector.

"Schools remain open until further notice."

TimesLIVE spoke to pupils in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, to ascertain their position about  school and their views on the risks of contracting the coronavirus.

A grade 11 pupil aged 16 said she felt safer going to school.

"When you are at home, you don't know what your temperature is and you roam around the streets, so it is better in that way to be at school. It's not really necessary for schools to close, and we lose out on school work then," she said.

She reported low attendance at her school.

"To tell the truth, teachers are also scared. We are taught but it's not the whole day. Some teachers don't even come to teach, I think they are scared. There was a day when only one teacher came to teach," she said.

Phumzile Baloyi, a grade 12 pupil, said her school had closed twice for decontamination after confirmed Covid-19 cases. However, she said she felt safer at school than at home because of the enforced hygiene protocols.

"When I am home I don't wash my hands that often but at school they sanitise our hands and make sure we have masks. When I am home I get bored and go out without a mask and I don't know if those I meet might have the virus," she said.

The 19-year-old said some pupils' homes were not conducive to social distancing.

"Our home conditions make it impossible for us to be safe from the virus."

Another grade 12 pupil, who asked not be named, preferred schools to be closed and for pupils to be given electronic tablets to enable learning from home.

The 21-year-old said sometimes they spend the whole day at school and attend class for one subject only.

"When the grade 11s came back to school, sanitisers were stolen. We have teachers who don't want to teach because they are scared," she said.

On Tuesday Sadtu called on government to close schools countrywide until after the Covid-19 pandemic had reached its peak.

The mother body of teaching unions called on Motshekga to attend to its urgent meeting request. It said if she did not heed the call to immediately close schools, it would explore other options, although not a legal route as yet.

The advocacy group NotInMyName SA said there was insufficient scientific evidence to support the speed at which the national coronavirus command council reopened schools.

Like Sadtu, the organisation said teaching and support staff are yet to be inducted to the "new normal" and needed adequate time to prepare for this. It added its voice for schools to remain closed until after the peak, or when the country moves to lower levels of lockdown.

Mhlanga maintained the decision lies with the cabinet.

"We wish to restate that the decision to reopen schools was taken by the cabinet after extensive consultation which culminated in the phased approach to the resumption of duty in the sector," he said.

Eusa said it was pleased with reports of teachers picketing to pressure government to close schools.

"We continue to receive reports of schools that are having pickets. Teachers are joining slowly but surely," said Eusa spokesperson Kabelo Mahlobogwane. "We are very confident teachers across the country will take it upon themselves to join the pickets and for once prioritise their own lives and health and protect pupils."

He said the union's call was based on science and saving lives.

"We hope the government will hear the call of teachers, parents, pupils and the community. This is a very important programme and we are happy about the response," Mahlobogwane said.

The union on Tuesday said the teaching fraternity felt angry and betrayed by President Cyril Ramaphosa because he did not touch on the issue of “escalating” Covid-19 cases at schools when he addressed the nation on Sunday evening.

“The president showed how much teachers, pupils and support staff at schools are disregarded by his government,” said Mahlobogwane. “The facts are glaring at him but he chose to ignore this for reasons known to himself and his cabinet.

“This past week we learnt of the passing of seven pupils from the age of nine upwards in Gauteng, which is against what experts told us when the lockdown was declared,” Mahlobogwane said.