Grade 7 learners went back to school for the first time in months on Tuesday.
The Department of Basic Education urged communities to protect schools against any form of disruptions.
The department said they are aware of attempts made by School Governing Bodies to close school and disrupt learning.
Congress of South African Students (COSAS) have also made threats of disrupting school and closing them down.
Western Cape COSAS provincial secretary Mphumzi Giwu however said they welcome the department’s decision to have the Grade 7’s back at school.
“We have been calling for a total shutdown for schools but we feel Grade 7 and 12 should be the only grades back at school because they need to make way for other grades,” Giwu says.
He says they proposed for the two grades to be sent to a campsite where they will study away from the schools.
However he says this is going to be difficult because parents will need to buy in on the idea because their children will be away from them.
Giwu says the learners will also need to be screened and tested for Covid-19 before going to these camps.
“We will keep a close eye on how the schools are managed as for the other grades we are saying they must apply the one pass, pass all rule so they do not need to go back to school this year,” he says.
South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) provincial chairperson Jonovan Rustin says their biggest concern as Sadtu is the space for the learners when social distancing has to be applied and also the protective gear they need to wear.
“Teachers and learners all need to wear masks so that the virus does not spread. We did not hear any problems in the province, everything went smooth,” he says.
Rustin says they advised school to welcome the learners back gradually and not have big numbers.
National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) president Basil Manuel said the education sector appears to be better prepared for the return of the learners to schools.
“Some of our concerned members have reported to be in schools where disruptions have happened and this was mainly in Gauteng province. We have not been supporting such disruptions even before schools closed,” says Manuel.
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