‘What are we supposed to do?’ ask schools after mixed one-metre advice

There was widespread confusion over the implementation of the one-metre social distancing requirement in the classroom, as all primary school pupils returned to class on a full-time basis on Monday.

Gauteng principals said this was triggered by a provincial education department official informing them during a virtual meeting on July 22 not to “strictly enforce” the one-metre rule.

The official indicated that 507 township schools in the province would not be able to return to the traditional daily timetable if the one-metre requirement was followed.

The confusion also stemmed from advice given to the department of basic education by the ministerial advisory committee (MAC), which stated that “ideally, all children should be at least one metre apart within classrooms, but where this is not possible, full capacity schooling should still be commenced”.

On Sunday basic education minister Angie Motshekga published amendments to directives on the closing and reopening of schools, which indicated that the social distancing measure in primary schools had been reduced to one metre.

This came after co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced on Friday that the social distancing requirement had been reduced from 1.5m to one metre.

But a member of the school management team at a primary school in Hammanskraal, near Pretoria, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were forced to ignore the one-metre social distancing requirement after advice given to them during the Gauteng meeting on July 22.

He confirmed that they were catering for 48, 45 and 44 pupils in the three grade six classes as well as 44, 45 and 47 pupils in the three grade four classes.

“Our classes are overcrowded but there’s nothing we can do because we have been told that all learners must return. The teachers are very worried because there’s no social distancing in the classroom.”

Our classes are overcrowded but there’s nothing we can do because we have been told that all learners must return.

He said there was huge confusion over whether to continue following the advice provided during the Gauteng meeting or abide by Motshekga’s one-metre rule.

The problems at the school have been aggravated by support staff involved in screening and cleaning the school being reduced from 24 to eight, after the contract of the Gauteng youth brigade members had expired.

A director of an education district in Gauteng informed principals via WhatsApp on Sunday that the “how” part of getting all pupils back, while maintaining the one-metre requirement, was “difficult”.

“Maybe keep those extra learners busy on the ground. Maybe 50% in class, another 50% outside being supervised.”

The director told them that communication with parents about going back to rotation “must be done before end of school tomorrow [Monday]”.

“High levels of understanding and supportiveness to this process are expected from all of us, given the fluid environment we are managing and leading under,” the director said.

On Sunday, Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said primary schools were ready for the return of all pupils and that only 57 of the 2,300 primary schools had “overcrowding challenges”.

A visit by Lesufi and Motshekga to primary schools in Ekurhuleni on Monday to monitor the return of pupils was shelved, according to the department of basic education “due to an urgent matter that requires their attention”.

Meanwhile, Mugwena Maluleke, general secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu), said that they had “clarified confusion” around the one-metre physical distancing issue with members.

“We confirmed there is no agreement to drop the one-metre physical distance in classrooms and social distance in general, and that whatever was communicated in the principals’ meetin was a violation of the World Health Organisation’s guideline on social distancing.”

We are concerned that the majority of schools will not be able to comply with the physical distancing requirement due to overcrowding.

—  Ben Machipi, general secretary of the Professional Educators' Union

He said that the one-metre distance between pupils could not be compromised, “because it is a potent non-pharmaceutical intervention to prevent transmission of the virus”.

“Any violations of the above should be reported to the closest Sadtu office, the department of employment and labour, or the SA Human Rights Commission.”

Ben Machipi, general secretary of the Professional Educators’ Union (PEU), said while they support the return of all primary school pupils, “we are concerned that the majority of schools will not be able to comply with the physical distancing requirement due to overcrowding”.

“We urge all principals and all our members not to compromise on social distancing. Where schools won’t be able to comply, let them go back to rotational timetabling.”

The North West education department said that schools in Bojanala and Ngaka Modiri Molema, two of its four districts, will continue rotational teaching because of overcrowded classrooms.

In the Western Cape, 894 primary schools told the provincial education department that they wouldn’t be able to accommodate all pupils on a daily basis.

The Northern Cape confirmed that only 79 out of 424 primary schools would be able to return to the traditional timetable with the one-metre requirement in place.

Moira Marais, superintendent-general for the Northern Cape education department, said the return to normalised teaching and learning could only be done once all schools were compliant in terms of the Covid regulations and guidelines, as well as the one-metre social distancing among pupils in the classroom.

“Schools which are unable to ensure adherence to the regulations and guidelines must continue with the differentiated timetabling model (rotation) until they are able to comply with all the regulations,” she said.

Thomas Hlongwane, president of the South African Principals’ Association in Gauteng, which has about 400 members, said they urged members to comply with the gazette which stipulates the one-metre social distancing requirement.