Sadtu hopes for clarity ahead of Angie Motshekga’s briefing on schools
It’s been anything but smooth sailing since schools first re-opened their doors last month, with over 700 institutions affected by the outbreak.
CAPE TOWN - Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga is expected to flesh out details surrounding the further re-opening of schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s been anything but smooth sailing since schools first re-opened their doors last month, with over 700 institutions affected by the outbreak.
With grades 7s and matric pupils already back in class, the Basic Education Department this week announced that grade R, 6 and 11 pupils will also be back at school from Monday.
However, three provinces have already announced their decision to keep grade R pupils at home.
Education officials in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the North West said their decision to only have grade 6 and 11 pupils resume their academic programmes had already been communicated to national government.
Meanwhile, the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) said more time is needed to adjust to the major changes brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
The union's Xolani Faku said: “We’ve not afforded the system enough of an opportunity to adjust before receiving the other grades. This is the new normal, none of us have been here before.”
He adds teachers believe there are still a number of details that need to be ironed out, specifically in regard to teachers with co-morbidities.
“There are still a lot of grey areas that need to be clarified in terms of that.”
