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By the IOL reporter 
6h ago
The National Teachers Union (Natu) expressed concern about the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, who announced yesterday that students in grades 12 and 7 will return to school on June 1.
With more than 5,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country and more than 100 deaths, compared to just 61 cases of infection and no deaths in March, Natu believes that “the risk of infections at school is likely to be very high. higher now than when schools were ordered closed. ”
Natu is of the opinion that the decision to reopen schools on June 1 appears to be “necessary for reasons other than the national disaster state.” It has stipulated certain conditions that must be met before supporting the reopening of schools.
Motshekga emphasized that this was an interim plan and dependent on all the correct protocols in place to ensure the safety of students and staff.
“Right now, confirmed cases continue to rise daily, and at a very high rate, while the peak is estimated for September. Therefore, we are opening schools knowing full well that the worst is yet to come,” Natu said.
Accordingly, it appears that the Department of Education is now changing goals. There are now different drivers behind the revised school calendar, rather than the crown-induced state of the national disaster.
“Initially, it was pretty clear that growth in the number of new infections was the key factor in determining the decision to close or open schools. Now this seems to be not the case.”
“For the past month or so, Natu has been in constant communication with the two Ministers of Education about the reopening of educational institutions and has made significant contributions and contributions, based on contextual factors and with the hope that ministers take due account of contributions.
“We are pleased to see that the Minister of Higher Education and Training has taken our contributions very seriously and is on the schedule for the reopening of universities for contact enrollment.
“The Minister of Basic Education, on the other hand, seems to want to carry on with her original plans. However, if she is honest about using May, and perhaps more time, to plan and ensure that all conditions for a safe return of students, teachers and administrative staff are in place, so we are probably on the right track.
“What will be vital is ensuring that all schools are inspected, not only initially but continuously, to ensure that there is sustainability and consistency to meet all necessary safety and health conditions.
“The state of readiness should also apply to the rehabilitation of schools that were looted, burned, and destroyed during the closure of Level 5.”
Natu noted his appreciation for Motshekga’s stance on the following issues, and said that once all of these conditions have been met, he will be very happy to support the reopening of the schools.
* We are pleased that the Minister has committed to keeping class numbers low, hopefully no more than 20 students per class, with one student per desk to allow reasonable distance between desks;
* We are satisfied with the minister’s commitment to recruiting additional and substitute teachers regarding vacant positions and teachers who may not be able to attend school because of age or comorbidities;
* We are pleased with the Minister’s commitment to recruit additional administrative and support workers, especially to address safety and deep cleaning and the maintenance of healthy and safe environments;
* We are pleased with the Minister’s commitment to ensure that schools only open when running water is available and the mobile classrooms necessary to alleviate overcrowding, when necessary;
* We are satisfied with the Minister’s commitment to ensure that schools are only reopened when all hygiene and sanitation packages have been delivered.
* Finally, we wish to emphasize the importance of guiding teachers to detection, isolation, and quarantine protocols in all categories of schools: rural, semi-urban, and urban schools.
* More clarity regarding the eating scheme is also required, as serving meals for cooking is not allowed during the Level 4 crash.
MESS
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