On Monday, February 7th, all schools across the country will resume full daily in-person attendance.
For primary, secondary, and special schools across the country, this is a significant adjustment.
Many of these schools have been using “rotational learning” since the outbreak began.
Angie Motshekga, the Minister of Basic Education, says everything is in place for the big day.
Angie Motshekga: We’ve done our research and are now ready to go.
Motshekga disclosed that her department has been in consultations with numerous stakeholders in the education sector during a news conference on Sunday.
Motshekga says that while some concerns were raised about the full return, the issues are being dealt with.
The overall response? The minister says there has been “overwhelming” support for the full return of learners to daily attendance.
The rotational learning timetable has been in effect since June 2020.
As a result, the department has confirmed that the full return will take effect from Monday.
“Medical science has informed the decisions that have been made; and as a Sector, we will follow the advice from our public health experts.
On Friday, 04 February 2022, CEM convened to consider the state of readiness for the full return of learners.
We are confident that schools are ready for the new normal.”
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga
Plans in place for safety
Motshekga says provincial education departments have been hard at work preparing for the return of daily attendance. Parents have been consulted, school timetables have been adjusted, and an “intensified monitoring” plan has been put in place.
The department also says that it has come up with detailed curriculum recovery plans to make up for the time lost. Motshekga has described these losses as “indisputably devastating”.
“The return to normal time-tabling, will assist the Sector to intensify its implementation of the curriculum recovery plan. The learning losses incurred in the past two years, are indisputably devastating. At the Basic Education Lekgotla held last week, it was resolved that the Sector would need to be rebooted, recalibrated and repositioned.”
Motshekga says the key to recovery in this regard, is to prevent further disruptions at schools. The minister is encouraging children between the ages of 12 and 17 to get vaccinated.
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