The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education and the Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture on Wednesday tabled a plan to resume schooling for Grade 7 and 12 pupils from May 18 as the country is working on easing some of the lockdown regulations amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Addressing the plan in a virtual meeting the Department of Basic Education director-general Hubert Mweli said the department has done extensive research, taking into account strategies in Denmark, Sweden and Taiwan, which had only closed schools for two weeks.

Mweli said they have proposed allowing pupils in Grades 7 and 12 to return to school first.

Grade 11 and Grade 6 pupils will follow two weeks later and other grades will follow every two weeks until Grade R pupils’ expected return on July 15.

He said school days lost owing to the lockdown will be recovered by shortening the June holidays to 5 days and the September holidays to a long weekend.

The 4th term will end on December 9 for learners and December 11 for teachers. 

The plan calls for no more than 40 learners per class.

“Research done by organisations like UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has shown that schools contributed less numbers in terms of the outbreak in the other countries, provided all necessary guidelines are adhered to,” Mweli said.

Educators are expected to go back to school on May 4 to prepare for the re-opening of schools.

“We have seen in other countries the plans working but we understand that parents may have reservations. No school that does not meet the requirements will be allowed to form parts of schools that will be reopening. A team of lawyers in the department is working on this to avoid any possible litigations,’ Mweli assured.

The plan is not final and will be presented to and approved by the National Command Council following the virtual meeting with the two committees.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga is expected to provide the final details in a media briefing on Thursday.

EXAMS

The preparatory exams will take place in September.

The May/June Grade 12 exams will be combined with the October/November exams and rescheduled for November/December 2020.

The exams will cover the entire Grade 12 curriculum, while other grades will be given a reworked curriculum and assessed on 80%.

The marking of examination papers will continue until the end of December and the results are expected to be released in mid- or the end of January 2021.

Mweli said incubation camps will be set up progressed and weaker learners in Grade 12 to catchup.

WATER, SANITATION & TRANSPORT

Mweli revealed that 3 475 schools have indicated that they required a water supply, which is particularly important during the pandemic.

He said the department’s Chief Financial Officer and his team have already met with the Department of Water and Sanitation to finalise the arrangements.

The Department of Basic Education is also working closely with the Department of Health to supply equipment such as masks, sanitisers, handwashing soap, gloves, cloth masks and thermometers.

Learners’ temperatures will be checked on arrival at the school. Those that present signs of high temperatures will then be considered for isolation and testing.

Learners will be provided with masks and deaf learners will be provided with clear masks so that they are able to communicate.

Classrooms will be sanitised and provided with hand sanitisers.

Mobile classrooms will be introduced in schools that require more space, including those that were recently vandalised during the lockdown. This will be a temporary measure.

Learner transport will be provided by the Department but in cases where parents provide the transport, they will need to ensure that all Covid-19 protocols are observed.

Mweli said his Department will be working closely with the Department of Transport to help enforce the regulations in cases where learner transport does not adhere to the regulations.

The Director-General said the department is also looking into working with non-government and faith based organisations to provide psychosocial support learners who may need it.