Covid-19 regulations: Government schools will reopen on July 19

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga said on Monday teaching at government schools will stop on Wednesday and start again on July 19.

She said Thursday and Friday will be used for teachers and managers to ensure orderly closure of schools. Parents will need to collect their children from boarding facilities before 12.30pm on Friday.

The minister was providing an update after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Sunday night that schools would close for the winter holidays earlier than scheduled due to the increase in Covid-19 infections in the country.

“Schools will make the necessary arrangements to continue to provide feeding to those pupils who are beneficiaries of the national school nutrition programme,” she said.

Motshekga said the usual winter vacation pupil support programme for grades 11 and 12, organised by provinces, districts and schools, should continue under very strict conditions in compliance with Covid-19 health and safety protocols.

“Given the fact that few pupils are writing the May/June 2021 examinations, these exams and marking thereof should continue under strict adherence to Covid-19 health and safety protocols.”

The vaccination programme would also proceed as planned, said the minister, with more than 200,000 teachers and staff inoculated to date. The sector has a target of 582,564 personnel who are eligible to receive the single-dose J&J vaccine.

“The department of health has assured us additional doses will be made available in parts of the country where allocations have been depleted as a result of the progress of the programme.”

This is a developing story.

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