Johannesburg - After more than a year of attending school on a rotational basis, primary school learners are back to full-time attendance this week.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) reverted to full-time attendance on Monday after projections of the NIDS-CRAM Wave 5 report indicated that between March 2020 and June 2021, most primary school learners lost 70-100% of learning.
DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga visited Kabelo Primary School in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni on Monday to monitor the first day of the return at full capacity.
“It’s a complex environment and we know there are some concerns around social distancing and what will happen. This is big because we haven’t seen all learners in class since March last year, so we needed to create an environment where schools that are able to return all learners at the same time can do that,” he said.
“If it is not possible, don’t do it, continue with a rotational system. We are not forcing any school to take all the learners back if it doesn’t have the resources to do so or if it doesn’t have a plan on managing this.”
Mhlanga added that the department would be monitoring primary schools across the country this week.
Kabelo Primary School principal Jabulile Radebe, said the school was ready to accommodate and safeguard all its learners.
“There are measures in place and everyone has their masks on before entering the premises, we also have spare masks in classes because the little ones sometimes lose them. We are ready because we started preparing last week already,” Radebe said.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said on Sunday after the Grade 1 and 8 online admissions announcement that the department’s 3 200 primary schools were ready for full-time return.
“Only 57 schools have overcrowding challenges. At the 57 schools that have overcrowding challenges or other challenges such as water, electricity and other things, we are putting additional mobile classrooms,” Lesufi said.
The MEC added that he had personally written letters to all the mayors in Gauteng, requesting assistance at schools that have water problems.
“To fight Covid-19, you need to wash your hands frequently, so we can’t have schools where there are challenges with water. We have schools that have water pressure issues, especially in Diepsloot and Orange Farm areas,” Lesufi said.
He added that in the last two months, the department had been attending to the issues at the 57 schools.
A parent from Valhalla Primary School in Centurion, who asked not to be named, said she was confident that her son’s school would do its best to ensure that the Grade 5 learner was safe.
“I think that they are trying their best, but at the same time you can’t keep an eye on all the children the whole day. It’s a bit worrying because I have a baby at home and a nanny who comes in, so we can’t have one mistake because it will affect the whole house,” the mother said.
The Star