KZN weighs in on next week’s return to school

Schools are said to be opening from May, with teachers returning on May 4th and children May 6th, but the question of whether schools are ready to handle the influx of children has become a hot topic. 

Read: Schools to reopen on 6 May

The Department of Basic Education has proposed  Matrics and Grade 7 will be the first batch of students back at their desks from next week, while the rest of the grades will be phased in, ending off with Grade R in July. 

A Joint Education Portfolio meeting was held nationally today to discuss the Covid19 Basic Education Sector Plan,  and these were the salient points laid out by teachers:

- Control of school transport

- Feeding schemes

- Feasibility of having 40 learners in a class in schools where there are between 50-60 learners in a single class.

- The proposal to provide mobile classrooms(prefabs) to alleviate overcrowding: when will this happen?

- Water supply

- Ablution facilities

- Teachers needing to screen learners- it was pointed out that training would take place and that this would be overseen by the Dept of Health

Social media users definitely had a lot to say about this as they are not sure how safe it is for their kids to go back to school while we see a daily increase in the Coronavirus cases and no clear end in sight. 

Some people went as far as to say: "You say schools must reopen?? How are schools different from churches, resatuarants, weddings, bars, events etc. Think carefully. Health comes first. #BasicEducation"

Are we moving too quickly to send children back to school? Here's how the East Coast Drive Facebook fans felt: 

This is what Gordon had to say about his children going back to school.