PRETORIA – The Gauteng Department of Education on Friday expressed sadness over the death of a 48-year-old female teacher at the Central Secondary School in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria.
“It is alleged that the said educator collapsed on Friday, 3 July 2020 near a water fountain in the school premises and was taken to the nearby office by fellow colleagues. The emergency services was immediately called and unfortunately paramedics certified her dead on their arrival at the school,” said GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona.
“The district officials immediately visited the school to provide necessary support and advised that the school be dismissed following the shocking incident at the said school. Our psycho-social team and employee wellness will on Monday, 6 July 2020 visit the school to offer necessary support accordingly.”
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi sent out condolences to the family of the teacher, and the school.
“Indeed this is devastating and difficult to comprehend in this difficult period. We would like to convey our sincere condolences to the family and the school community. We want to assure the family that, they are in our prayers, during this time of grief. We will facilitate a memorial service to celebrate her life, in the near future,” said Lesufi.
The government on Thursday announced that only grades R, 6 and 11 would return to school on Monday across the country, while other grades would be phased back in throughout the month. They will be joining pupils in grades 7 and 12 who returned to school on June 8 after being away for more than 10 weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In an unrelated incident, the Royal Schools Princess Park campus in Arcadia, east of Pretoria, on Friday temporarily closed after a learner tested positive for Covid-19.
Parents received notifications from “management” informing them to come to the school and collect their children urgently.
“We have our first positive Covid-19 case. Please collect your primary school child from school at 11.30am today. Please collect your high school child from school at 12pm (midday) today. This is of urgency as the school needs to be deep-cleaned today. There will be no staff on the premises at 12.30. Thank you for your understanding,” the message the school sent out on Friday read.
A memorandum circulated to parents by the school, issued by principal Maxon Dutuma, said the infected Grade 4 learner was at the school on Monday.
“Unfortunately, a mother of one of our Grade 4 learners tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, 30th June 2020. The mother and child were tested and both tested positive. The learner was at school on Monday the 29th of June and did not show any symptoms but was tested as a precautionary measure. The child tested positive and the school was made aware of it late Thursday, 2 July, by the learner’s parents,” said Dutuma in the internal memorandum seen by African News Agency (ANA).
The school management followed protocol and reported the matter to both the department of education and the department of health.