More focus needed on impact of blackouts on schools – union
A teachers' union says it's unfortunate that the courts have had to step in to protect schools from the impact of load shedding.
Naptosa has been reacting to Friday's ruling by the High Court in Pretoria which ordered the government to take “all reasonable steps” to ensure public facilities such as hospitals and schools should be exempt from the rolling blackouts.
But on Monday, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan announced that government will lodge an appeal to have the judgment set aside.
Among other things, he says the decision could negatively impact the efforts being made to stabilise the national grid.
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Naptosa KZN’s Thirona Moodley says lessons and learner performance have been compromised.
"We are hopeful that now there is more attention that has been brought to the suffering of the learners and teachers in the schools. Previously, it was some business was taken seriously in the economic loss suffered by the business.
“So they are really in a situation where they cannot print worksheets, can't use the phone in some schools or can't even use the administration system of the school that processes marks but more than that, learners can't catch up when they go home."
