Johannesburg - All public schools across the country will reopen on July 19 for the third term, after the closure for the winter break was brought forward as a result of spiking Covid-19 infections.
The Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga was visiting a vaccination centre in the Free State on Monday where she briefed the media on the department’s response to Covid-19.
She said classes would stop on Wednesday, while Thursday and Friday would be used for teachers and managers to close the schools properly.
“We are aware that some learners in schools come from different provinces so we can’t, for example, tell a parent who stays in Gauteng to fetch their child now. Parents have to make arrangements to come and pick up their children so that’s why we needed these two days to have an orderly closure,” the minister said.
She confirmed that learners in hostel facilities and learners with special education needs should be picked up by midday Friday.
She added that the national school nutrition programme would continue according to the previous school schedule, meaning learners would still benefit until July 7.
Motshekga said because the winter break would start earlier, all public schools would return for learning on July 19, a change from the initial July 26 reopening.
The winter education programme for Grade 11 and 12s will also continue under strict conditions and regulations and the supplementary exams for those working to improve their matric results would continue.
“The vaccination programme must continue. The announcement that schools close on Friday doesn’t mean that our vaccination programme stops on Friday. Teachers should come as scheduled,” the minister said.
Motshekga said the department did not want to conclude the vaccination drive next term and would continue as scheduled. The basic education sector has identified 582 000 teachers and staff who are expected to be vaccinated by July 8.
“We implore our parents, guardians and caregivers to ensure that during this break children continue to learn using the available resources. Doing so we will protect the gains we’ve already made and encourage our learners to remain safe.”
The Free State Education Department has announced that it is confident of completing its basic education sector vaccine roll-out on Friday.
“I believe that we will reach a stage where we will reach a normal and learners will come to school every day and not once a week,” Education MEC Tate Makgoe said.
Free State Health MEC Montseng Tsiu said from last week when the vaccination programme started until Friday, 12 923 teachers and staff members were vaccinated.
“We are expecting that by today, we will have used all the vaccines we’ve received, that is 16 800 and tomorrow we are receiving the next batch,” Tsiu said.
The minister said she was happy with the vaccine drive in the province.
The Star