SADTU calls for schools to shut until COVID-19 peak passes
The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) is calling for schools across the country to close immediately until South Africa passes its COVID-19 peak.
On Tuesday, General Secretary Mugwena Maluleke outlined the outcomes of a National Executive Committee (NEC) virtual meeting in response to the spike in infections.
Maluleke says learning cannot take place under the current conditions with schools closing and reopening on a daily basis.
"Some of the conspicuous challenges that the teachers and school managers face include a significant number of schools that are already expressing a high number of absenteeism due to the anxiety and fear that body learners and parents are experiencing.
"Parents are keeping their children at home. They are not sending them, so we have got low attendance in our schools. The standard operating procedures for the closure of schools upon confirmation of a positive case is not being implemented consistently and uniformly across the provinces.
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"As a result schools are on autopilot and acting outside of this particular protocol and that is a risk to the community."
He says the National Executive Committee's decision is based provincial reports they have received on the situation on the ground.
"The NEC thus took a decision to call on the DBE to suspend all schooling activities with immediate effect until the peak of the pandemic recedes.
"The NEC further makes a call that whilst considerations should be made for the Grade 12 class in strictly controlled environment like camps, there should be a consideration to align their examination in line with the Department of Higher Eduction and Training plans so that pressure and anxiety is also addressed. Because you can't write an examination when you are so anxious and have fear."
