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- All teachers who were awarded Covid-19 concessions are expected to report back to work on Monday.
- Those who are still ill will need to apply for normal sick leave.
- Schools have been advised to alter schedules and ensure that there is adequate social distancing.
Teachers, who were absent due to comorbidity, older than 60 and have been working from home, are now expected to return to work starting Monday as the country moves to Level 1 of the lockdown, said the Department of Basic Education. .
According to a statement from the department on Saturday, more than 22,500 teachers received approval for concessions across the country under the terms of Collective Bargaining Agreement 1 of 2020 from the Education Labor Relations Council.
The objective of the agreement was to grant a concession to teachers employed under the terms of Law 78 of 1998 of the Educators Employment Law who are affected by risk factors related to Covid-19.
The agreement, dated May 30, 2020, was signed by the department’s director general, Mathanzima Mweli, and the general secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), Mugwena Maluleke.
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He stated that the department had put in place appropriate measures to accommodate teachers who were at high risk, had comorbidities or were over 60 years old.
The agreement stated: “Employees who have comorbidities and those who are 60 years or older will stay home with full salary subject to all requirements …”
It also allowed those who had comorbidities and were 60 years of age or older, but who wished to continue reporting for service in the schools, to agree with the principals and to have appropriate measures in place to ensure their safety.
However, the agreement stated that the concessions granted would only be applicable for the duration of levels 3 and 2.
“The implication of the announcement of [President Cyril Ramaphosa] moving the country to alert level 1 means that the concessions to work from home will no longer apply from midnight on Sunday, September 20, 2020, ”the department said.
The department said:
- There are cases where substitute teachers have been appointed instead of educators who have been granted a concession to work from home.
- As teachers with comorbidities will return to school on Monday, the provincial education department must fulfill contractual obligations between substitute educators and the provincial department.
He added that all affected employees would now have to report to work starting Monday, but if some are still unwell, they will be required to “follow normal sick leave protocols.”
Principals have also been advised to modify schedules starting Monday, and school management teams and school governing bodies have been advised to ensure that physical distancing requirements are met as per standard rules and standards. of the department according to Covid-19.
Schools must also implement appropriate adjustments for physical distancing and for the schedule to accommodate a certain percentage of the total student population that would attend on a specific day.
