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By Sisonke Mlamla 
9h ago
Earlier this week, Motshekga released a statement saying it had met with teacher unions and relevant stakeholders before “details including final dates and detailed plans for the phased approach to the possible reopening of schools.” .
Several unions had concerns about their perceived rush to reopen schools before evaluating practicalities, or risk “damaging the reputation of the education system.”
Motshekga said that at a meeting on Monday, several provinces reported that they were still in various stages of preparation and asked for more time while waiting for deliveries of personal protective equipment for staff.
“We agreed that it takes a week to finish. So on Monday we will meet again to consider the progress made and then we will inform the public about the state of readiness, ”he said.
“A lot of work has been done 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.”
Delays in the delivery of personal protective equipment have been attributed to challenges and cancellations with suppliers, Motshekga added.
“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.
The Democratic Union of Teachers of SA (Sadtu), the National Organization of Professional Teachers of SA (Naptosa), the National Union of Teachers (Natu), the Union of Professional Educators and SA Onderwysunie agreed on Monday that school management teams report.
Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said: “This (report) relates to the cleaning and disinfection of schools, and the delivery of personal protective equipment in accordance with Covid-19 regulations.”
Basil Manuel, Naptosa’s executive director, said the unions told Motshekga that even those provinces that claim to be ready to reopen schools were not.
They have agreed to use this week to allow all provinces to comply with the “non-negotiable” necessary to protect their members, he added.
“To avoid confusion, we agree that schools must have the essentials.”
Natu President Alan Tomson added: “Principals can be asked this week to receive the essentials and report on progress regarding cleaning and disinfecting schools.”
The department’s director general, Mathanzima Mweli, said the implementation of his risk-based differentiated approach to reopening schools would be assisted by Ramaphosa’s speech on Wednesday.
“Nobody has experience in handling a crisis of this magnitude, so we follow the advice of experts. That is why we must be extremely careful how we proceed at each step, “said Mweli.
Meanwhile, the MEC for Education, Debbie Schäfer, told parents that they applied to attend the 2021 school this year, and that they expected to receive a response by this weekend, that the process was interrupted due to the “unprecedented school closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “
“Accordingly, the Western Cape Department of Education has revised the dates parents can expect to hear the outcome of their requests.”
She said parents will be informed by email or SMS between June 12-22, adding: “If your child has been offered a place in a school at this time, parents should confirm their acceptance before 3rd of July”.
[email protected]Cape Argus
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