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Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will convene a special meeting of the Council of Education Ministers on Monday to consider the progress made towards reopening schools.
Motshekga was scheduled to chair a briefing on the state of readiness for the reopening of schools on Thursday, but this has been postponed.
According to spokesman for basic education department Elijah Mhlanga, the purpose of Monday’s meeting will be to consider the work done by the provinces this week, including the delivery of the necessary Covid-19 essentials as preconditions for the reopening.
At a meeting last Monday, the provinces reported that they were in various stages of preparation and requested more time while waiting for deliveries of the supplier’s personal protective equipment.
Also read: SA beyond Covid-19: how it will shape the future, according to scientists, economists, and political minds
“We agreed at our meeting on Monday that it takes a week to finish pending [issues]. So on Monday we will meet again to review the progress made and then we will inform the public about the state of readiness. A lot of work has happened and we are happy with the progress reported at the last meeting, but we need confirmation of the deliveries that the provinces were waiting for, “said Motshekga.
He added that the delays in deliverables were attributed to challenges with the supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE), which resulted in the cancellation of the contracts.
New suppliers to deliver PPE
Several provinces had to find new suppliers to deliver the material this week.
“At Monday’s meeting we will receive a full report that we can then share with the public. We will also use the meeting to present President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech, which is also important for our planning purposes,” he said.
In his speech to the nation Wednesday night, Ramaphosa said: “We will immediately begin a consultation process with relevant stakeholders on a proposal that by the end of May, most of the country will be on Level 3 alert, but those parts of the country with the highest infection rates remain at Level 4. “
Read: Schools are not allowed to open too soon, department of education warns
The director general of the Department of Basic Education, Mathanzima Mweli, said that the implementation of the risk-based differentiated approach of the basic education sector in the reopening of schools would be assisted by the president’s speech.
“We will organize a special meeting of the heads of the education departments of all the provinces and the minister will meet with the MEC on Monday to discuss the progress made. Later, we will announce to the public.
Inexperienced in managing such a crisis
“No one is experienced in handling a crisis of this magnitude, so we follow expert advice, so we must be extremely careful how to proceed at each step,” said Mweli.
He added that the plan for the basic education sector was based on three factors:
- Saving lives remains the primary consideration;
- Keeping the academic year is crucial;
- Risk assessment and mitigation, as well as monitoring and evaluation are important safeguards for the plan.
“The minister will address a press conference after receiving full reports from all provinces on the willingness to open schools. We call for patience as we work to find the best way to move forward under the circumstances,” he said.
Motshekga will address a press conference on Monday after the meeting of the Council of Ministers of Education. The exact time will be confirmed in due course, Mhlanga said.
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