CAPE TOWN- South African schools are ready to receive learners and resume the academic year on Monday, as 95% of schools have met the Covid-19 requirements said Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.
Motshekga was joined by MECs of education at a live media briefing which took place on Sunday afternoon.
"We can say with confidence that about 95% of our schools have been ably provided with the necessary Covid-19 imperatives, and the department will also try to deal with the remaining 5%. A school will not resume if they are not ready and comply with the rules," she said.
Her announcement comes a week after she decided to delay the reopening of schools from 1 June to 8 June, saying that many schools had not yet received personal protective equipment (PPE) and some schools did not meet the requirements.
Grades 7 and 12 will be received on Monday followed by grades R, 3, 6, 10, 11 and Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres on 6 July 2020. Learners in year 2 and 3 of schools of skills will also return on 6 July. On 3 August grades 4, 5, 8 and 9 will return.
The department is in the process of revising the 2020 school calendar year, to accommodate the peculiarities' brought by the novel Covid-19 pandemic.
Motshekga said that learners from the 5% of schools not ready to reopen will be moved to neighbouring schools that meet the health, safety and social distancing set measures and requirements.
This past week, schools across the country used this week to 'mop up' on readiness to reopen. Motshekga said that provinces have stepped up to ensure that all prerequisites were met and that there was ample support received from the private sector as large donations were made.
Teachers and school employees were inducted this week on the department's health and safety regulations.
Department director general Mathanzima Hubert Mweli says of 23 675 schools, 23 100 were declared ready by the department.
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