The national coronavirus command council (NCCC) has recommended that the reopening of schools be postponed from January 27 to February 15 because of the spike in Covid-19 infections.
Education stakeholders including school governing body associations, teacher unions and the National Alliance of Independent Schools Associations (Naisa) met with the senior officials from the department of basic education on Wednesday night.
Ebrahim Ansur, secretary-general of Naisa, comprising nine member associations representing 1,400 independent schools, said that the NCCC had recommended that the department consult stakeholders to share the view that all schools should delay reopening until February 15.
“The NCCC was deeply concerned about the pressure on health-care facilities given the rapid increase arising from the second wave of Covid-19, with Gauteng, Limpopo and other provinces entering their peak now and with high numbers expected for a few weeks thereafter.”
He said that the ministerial advisory committee (MAC) had met to analyse the results of the research undertaken on the implications of the second wave of the pandemic.
Ansur said one of the four main issues they identified was the link between closure of schools and the reduction of the surge as it has been shown in other countries such as the UK.
“The director-general [Mathanzima Mweli] clarified that the recommendations still must be ratified by cabinet and signed off by minister, Angie Motshekga.”
He said that Mweli also indicated that the MAC was looking beyond the immediate two-week period.
Ansur said that the department will meet the NCCC on Thursday and it will then report to cabinet where a final decision will be taken.
“The official communication from cabinet on the opening of all schools is expected to be released after January 15.”
He said that the department emphasised that the request to delay the reopening of schools was not coming from the department but from the NCCC to bring relief to the health system.
Ansur said that those schools that already opened this week have a window period of a few days to meet and greet and induct new pupils until the date on which all schools should reopen is officially announced.
“Schools that have not yet opened and are able to offer online lessons should make the necessary arrangements to start their online programmes as soon as is practically possible.”
Naisa chair Mandla Mthembu said that while they understand and are sensitive to the urgency and the need to save lives “and the lives of our children and staff, we need to also consider the impact of indefinite delays of reopening independent schools given the fact that we rely on revenue generated through school fees to keep teachers employed and earning a living and supporting families”.
“We do not want to see one more teacher being retrenched. It is therefore, once again our appeal that the government, in its decision when considering to postpone the reopening of schools, can apply its mind as to how we can keep independent schools going.”
He said that online programmes were not as effective as face-to-face teaching and learning and that the majority of independent schools cannot afford such programmes.
“A position taken last year by the cabinet where independent schools were allowed to continue would be more desirable.”
Ben Machipi, general secretary of the Professional Educators' Union (PEU), said there was unanimity from the unions that “we should postpone the reopening of schools by two weeks”.
He said, however, they disagreed with a proposal by the MAC that the delay in reopening should be confined to pupils only and not teachers.
“As PEU, we say if the postponement of reopening is informed by the high rate of infections, it’s disingenuous to say teachers should continue going to school as planned as if teachers are immune to infections.”
