Saints alive! Private schools get bust by department for staying open

The Gauteng education department closed two private schools on Tuesday after they defied government’s request to delay reopening until February 15.

One of the schools was St Jeff College in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, that accommodated more than 2,000 pupils from grade R to 10 in a four-storey building.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a staff member said the school had opened on January 13.

St Jeff College operates a platoon system, catering for primary school pupils in the mornings and secondary school pupils in the afternoons.

A Sunday Times Daily photographer spotted several buses transporting pupils home from the school after 5pm on Tuesday.

The staff member said parents were fearful of sending their children to the school because of the surge in Covid-19 infections.

“We don’t have a voice at the school. If you say anything, you are fired.”

He confirmed the owner of the school, Jeff Chikandi, had informed staff during a meeting on Tuesday afternoon that the department had called to demand the school be closed.

“Mr Chikandi said we have so much respect for the department and will close the school until further notice.”

The school’s principal Benedict Chuma asked Sunday Times Daily to e-mail media queries to him, but he had not responded by the time of going to press.

Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed that officials closed two schools on Tuesday, including St Jeff College.

“We have been receiving information from parents saying these schools were still open.”

He said they sent a communique to all independent schools in the province to close.

On Monday, Gauteng education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, visited Helpmekaar Kollege after reports that it was planning to offer face-to-face learning to pupils.

After discussions with the school’s management, they agreed to reverse their decision.

A similar situation happened with Curro schools.

“I spoke to the CEO of Curro schools and they have also agreed to retract face-to-face learning. The province is under siege from the Covid-19 virus and we need everyone to play their part,” Lesufi said.

He said that the two weeks’ delay in reopening schools was expected to give the province’s health system, which is straining under Covid-19 pressure, a reprieve as the virus can be treated in about 14 days.