Staff Reporter.
Photo Credit: Simphiwe Nkwali.
Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza LesufI has commended Helpmekaar Kollege school management in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, for reconsidering the reopening of the school amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic.
Lesufi was at the school on Monday morning following weekend media reports that the school had sent a communiqué to parents saying that learners should report back to school on Monday despite the national Department of Basic Education’s (DBE) decision to postpone the reopening of schools until February 15.
“The decision to delay the schools reopening followed our engagements with the DBE’s minister, where we raised several concerns based on the expert advice we have been getting from province’s coronavirus command council. The council indicated three areas of serious concern, including the fact that many people would be returning to Gauteng from other provinces following the festive season, “said Lesufi.
“Secondly, Gauteng was already beginning to experience an influx of people from outside the country as the borders were still opened. And lastly, many companies were also resuming operations – meaning workers were also flocking to the province.”
Lesufi said the sheer number of people returning to Gauteng was creating a serious threat to learning in Gauteng, as reopening schools meant some 2.5 million parents with children in both private and public sector schools in the province had to begin preparing their children for school.
He said Helpmekaar Kollege has been operating since last week and has now taken a decision to migrate online.
“They reconsidered and felt that they should migrate to online learning and it’s only seven learners in the boarding facility and those are the seven learners that will remain at the school.”
Meanwhile, the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa said that private schools that had opted to remain open were not breaking any laws.
The association’s executive director, Lebogang Montjane: “There is no regulation that precludes an independent school from opening at this point in time. So it is really important that no school is breaking the law if it has pupils on campus at the moment.”
SA’s largest private education provider, Curro, has also said it will not go ahead with in-person teaching this week.
This comes after Curro said it would open, despite the education ministry saying the restart of the schooling year should be pushed back two weeks due to rising Covid-19 infections.