The KwaZulu-Natal education department has slammed a social media post of a grade 1 pupil wearing a torn face mask, in which it is accused of failing to provide personal protective equipment to the school.
The department said in a statement on Wednesday night that it was “concerned” about the Facebook post showing the primary school pupil wearing a ripped mask. It is understood that the child is a pupil at a school in the Pinetown district.
“The learner in question came to school with a surgical mask and upon arrival was given two masks by the school. When the educator came back to the classroom, she asked why the learners mask was suddenly torn as it appears on the Facebook post,” said the statement.
According to the department the child informed the teacher that she had torn her mask “because she couldn't breathe properly, while wearing the mask”.
“The learner was advised against it and was asked to properly wear the mask that was given to her by the department. The Facebook post, that purports to be asking for donations because the school was not provided with masks, is both misleading and malicious and the department condemns and refutes it in the strongest possible terms.”
When asked if action would be taken against the person who took the picture, spokesperson Kwazi Mshengu said: “We can’t say now. We need to establish facts quickly and then we will pronounce on the course of action. Anyone who exposes children at that level, for sure something must give, so we are not going to let it go.”
A number of people took to social media to offer donations for masks but Mshengu said that no-one had contacted the department to follow through on this offer.
The department said it was satisfied that personal protective equipment was delivered to all schools in the province.
Some Facebook users slammed the post, saying the child should not have been exposed on social media.
“The person who took the picture needs to be reprimanded. Not everything is for social media sharing ... ” one said.
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