KZN Education calls on principals to make provisions for flood-affected pupils

DURBAN - The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has requested that principals accept pupils who are not enrolled in their schools and if they do not have uniforms.

The department made the announcement on Saturday and called on principals to work together to minimise the impact of the floods.

The department said principals are required to inform the district office as soon as possible when this occurs.

“You are required to receive all learners to your school whether they have uniforms or not. You are required to assist learners whether they are enrolled at your school or not.”

Several posters issued by the department on Sunday explain how learning and teaching will be conducted as well as what type of support is available.

According to the department, of the 630 schools which have been affected by floods, 124 suffered serious damage while 72 are still not accessible.

“We are in the process of procuring 98 mobile classrooms as an interim measure to ensure that schools are able to operate.”

It said the provision of learning and teaching support material (LTSM) to all flood-affected schools has been prioritised.

“We have identified 268 learners in need of LTSM as they have lost these during the recent floods.”

The department said it is working with the Department of Social Development to provide psycho-social support.

“We are already providing professional therapy to learners and educators as part of government interventions. The disasters especially floods have a huge impact in all spheres of life including psychological, social and educational and its effects may persist life if not intervened properly.”

With regard to curriculum recovery, the department said all affected schools will provide comprehensive services to recover learning losses and to promote well-being.

“Affected learners will receive support to catch up with learning. Teachers will be supported to address learning losses among their learners and to incorporate digital technology into their teaching.”