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The Department of Basic Education has outlined health precautions planned to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus when schools reopen. 

The measures discussed included that:

• Schools should practise physical distancing in classrooms;
• No more than two pupils should share desks;
• The wearing of cloth masks should be made mandatory for pupils and staff;
• All sporting activities and other extra-curricular activities should be prohibited; and
• Extra-classes should be arranged in small groups where social distancing is practised.

The department added that it would also work to ensure that scholar transport was sanitised before trips and that passengers sanitised before boarding.

However, the government should only be responsible for scholar transport provided by it. Parents should accept responsibility for private transport sanitation.

Guidelines for maintaining hygiene in schools have also been developed and include basic principles of infection and prevention control measures. 

These include that pupils and teachers should be subjected to screening before entering school premises and that anyone who has a high temperature be sent to isolate or undergo testing.

To ensure that everyone in the sector is familiar with the guidelines, the department said it would establish an orientation and training programme to allow pupils, teachers and support staff to become familiar with the arrangements.

DBE Director-General Hubert Mathanzima Mweli said the department’s plans, which it outlined in a video call, will be presented to parliament today for approval.

Other learners are proposed to be phased in as follows:

• Grade 6 and Grade 11 – 20 May
• Grade 5 and Grade 10 – 3 June
• Grade 4 and Grade 9 – 17 June
• Grade 3 and Grade 8 – 1 July
• Grade 1 and Grade 2 – 8 July
• Grade R – 15 July.

The exam schedule is proposed to be amended as follows:

• The May/June Exams for the National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) will be combined with the October/November Exams and rescheduled for November/December.
• Marking of examination scripts will run up to the end of December 2020.
• Moderation, standardisation, and release of the results will be moved to mid/end of January 2021.
• School Based Assessment will have to be calculated without the May/June exams.
• Grade 12s will still write preparatory examinations in September.
• The November/December examination time table will have to be amended accordingly.

The new school calendar for learners is proposed to be as follows:

• Term 2 – 6 May to 26 July
• Term 3 –  3 August to 23 September
• Term 4 –  28 September to 9 December

While the reopening dates have not been officially announced and the country waits for Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga's media briefing on Thursday, the plan they discussed on Wednesday morning outlined the planned health precautions.