Department of basic education
Lesufi to visit Helpmekaar College after reports it plans on reopening today
This is in contravention of the Basic Education Department's decision to postpone the opening of schools from 27 January to 15 February.
They say while an agreement was reached to push back the return of pupils, they were never consulted about the early return of school management teams and teachers.
Some pupils in private schools returned to the classroom on Wednesday for the start of the 2021 academic calendar.
The Department of Basic Education said that while it acknowledged that the financial difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers and other school services would still have to be paid.
Deputy Basic Education Minister Reginah Mhaule said that the Council of Education Ministers together with Cabinet had taken a decision to postpone the reopening of schools for both private and public schools.
Eyewitness News reported on Wednesday morning that thousands of teacher assistants in KwaZulu-Natal have been left disillusioned and confused by the delays.
Three other markers that were in close contact with the deceased at the Escort Marking Centre also tested positive.
In the last year, the department like many others has been forced to adapt to new ways of teaching and learning, thanks to COVID-19.
The department has been closely monitoring the marking process of the matric final exams for the class of 2020 with a special focus on health and safety due to the second wave of COVID-19.
The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) is worried the process might have to be interrupted.
The spread of the virus saw the education sector divided on how to save the academic year during a pandemic.
More than 200 teachers have died after contracting coronavirus since the outbreak on home soil in March.
Livhalani Bridget Sinyosi, the principal of Dzata Secondary School in Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe West District was announced as the winner on Monday.
Last month, one person was arrested in connection with the theft of the Maths Paper 2 exam.
The Supreme Court of Appeal referred the R500 000 defamation award back to the High Court for reconsideration.
Organisations including AfriForum and the South African Democratic Teachers Union took the department to court to challenge the decision to stage a national re-write of the two papers.
The rewrites were scheduled for 15 and 17 December respectively.
In a statement on Friday, Umalusi said that it respected the judgment and would continue to support and work together with the relevant structures in the ongoing investigations into the paper leaks.