Confusion over school resumption

Confusion over school resumption

Conflicting messages on whether or not school will reopen for learners on Monday has left teachers, parents and learners confused.

Here is a timeline of events:

  • In the past week, Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga gazetted that grade 7 and 12 learners are to return to school on Monday, 1 June 2020.
  • On 31 May, the Sunday Times reported that the partial reopening of schools was on hold after talks between “Motshekga, MECs, teacher unions and governing body associations” on Saturday night.
  • Motshekga was due to address the media on Sunday at 6pm.
  • At 17:22 on Sunday, 31 May, a message was sent to the government-administered media list that Motshekga’s press conference was postponed to 11am on Monday, leaving teachers, parents and learners in the dark as to what to do on Monday.
  • At 19:03 on Sunday, a message was sent to the government media list on behalf of the national Department of Basic Education. In over 400 words it said that all learners (not just grades 7 and 12) must return on 8 June.
  • Shortly thereafter we received a statement published by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) stating that, as gazetted, school for grades 7 and 12 resumes on Monday, 1 June. It’s not entirely clear but our current understanding is that the WCED statement came out after the national department’s one.
  • Meanwhile a statement by the Limpopo education department was published saying that learners must return on 8 June.
  • Then at 19:23 on Sunday, the national department deleted its earlier statement and replaced it with a new one saying almost the same thing i.e. that learners must return on 8 June, except that it corrected the “all learners” error, clarifying that the instruction to return applies only to grades 7 and 12.

This story first appeared on GroundUp

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