CAPE TOWN -
A proposal was made by the Education union Naptosa to close schools and reopen at the end of August due to the Continued rise in Covid-19 infections in both teachers and learners.
In a meeting held with the Department of Basic Education, Naptosa said that teachers have not been adequately protected and that schools have reported low attendance.
“When the debate about reopening of schools began, it was guided by the science that the children were not susceptible to infections and that even if infected, were not infectious, and although they were not likely to infect other children they could infect those with vulnerabilities, especially the elderly, teachers and education workers,” said Naptosa.
Here are the proposals that were raised in the meeting:
Schools should be closed with immediate effect to allow the peak and winter to pass. The system should use this time to attend to all outstanding issues, including, but not limited to, the provision of water, the building of toilets and additional classes and providing the required number of teachers;
Education departments should provide teachers with the necessary tools to work from home and prepare work for the reopening of schools;
Grade 12s should be prioritised and different modes to assist them while they are at home should be investigated. Grade 12s should return on Monday, 17 August 2020;
The Department of Higher Education and Training should be engaged to consider late registration for first years in 2021;
The DBE and stakeholders should discuss the curriculum post this calendar year.
For LIVE updates on the Coronavirus pandemic, follow us on Twitter:
@sacoronamonitor