Minister of basic education Angie Motshekga announced that both private and public schools are to commence on Monday 26 of July. After they were closed to protect educators and try to control COVID-19 third wave infections in schools.

The minister’s decision to open schools raised a lot of worries to parents, as not all schools are developed and they still suffering in this pandemic. Parents are afraid to take their children back to school as the is a rise in covid-19 infections.

SADTU also has similar concerns as the is a lot that is not yet fixed in schools after the looting that took place especially in public schools including other additional problems that the is no safety at all since the is still an increase in covid 19 infections which both teachers and children will be infected especially in public schools.

SADTU general secretary Mugwena Maluleke raised lot of issues that needs to be attended before the schools open on his interview with Enca, he pointed out that opening schools in this third wave will not only cost the lives of teachers and learners but the entire society as kids can carry the infections home.

“Teachers want to be at work, but they want to work under proper health and safety protocols. Teachers want support because they too have been subjected to trauma,” Maluleke said.

National Professional Teacher’s Organization of South Africa (Naptosa) executive director Basil Manuel said: “Teachers have gone back to school, but they are concerned because some have co-morbidities, and some have other serious illnesses. Today we saw many teachers reporting on the trauma of being back because many have been affected by Covid-19.”

Manuel said they were currently engaging with the Department of Basic Education over these concerns. “We want schools to open, but we want them to open the schools slowly and not in a rush,” he said.

Lack of sanitisers

After Naptosa conducted a survey last month across the country – over 7 000 responses were received from several schools. The survey revealed that nationally, 40% of schools reported not having enough hand and surface sanitizers.