Durban - Rage organisers still plan to hold the school-leaving festival.
However, it will be scaled down this year because of Covid-19 and takes place before state schools have finished writing their matric exams, Mike Arnold, operations manager of event-holder G and G Productions, said.
“We are still waiting for various permissions,” he said.
Arnold said 72% of participants came from private schools, so it would not make financial sense to make changes to suit the state schools’ timetable that was changed because of the pandemic.
“There has been interest from some state school participants who would come down and then return to write their last couple of exams,” said Arnold.
Events would be smaller than usual, rules on crowd numbers would be obeyed and Covid-19 procedures would be in place, he added.
High schools in KZN, meanwhile, appear to have survived the present stage of the pandemic better than some in Cape Town.
“There has been no surge at all,” said Clifton spokesperson Carol de Matteis.
Westville Girls’ High School is also unaffected. “Fortunately, to date, Westville Girls’ High School has not had to shut as a result of infections,” said governing body chairperson Emma Dunk.
“The school has maintained strict Covid-19 safety measures and protocols throughout lockdown and has accommodated learners with comorbidities via online learning.”
Hillcrest High School’s headmaster, Craig Girvin, said Covid-19 had had very little impact on the school.
“Two staff members and two pupils have tested positive but they went into a period of isolation and the school itself continued running as usual. The school has not had to be closed at all.”
Glenwood High School has had three cases, one a teacher, his son who is also a pupil, and another boy who had travelled from out of the province.
“In each case, we were able to isolate each individual and institute our internal track-and-trace mechanism,” said a spokesperson.
“No further cases were recorded and all three quarantined for 14 days before being allowed back into the school populace.
“The school is deep-cleaned every day irrespective of reported cases or not and we have a strict policy of social distancing and the wearing of masks.”
Provincial education department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said: “We have experienced stop-and-go like any other institution when infection has been detected.”
The Independent on Saturday