Motshekga's meeting with teachers' unions cancelled

A meeting that was supposed to take place on Wednesday between teachers' unions and basic education minister Angie Motshekga has been cancelled. 

According to a message sent to the unions, the meeting on the way forward for schools amid calls by education unions for the suspension of classes was cancelled due to the minister's consultation with the sector. 

On Tuesday, the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) said that due to the spike in Covid-19 infections that has led to the deaths of teachers and pupils, schooling should be suspended until the pandemic has peaked.

The second-biggest education union, the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa), is also calling for schooling to be cancelled this year. Naptosa executive director Basil Manuel said it would be  irresponsible to keep schools open now. 

"We are calling for the closure coupled with a plan on how to take the school year to a close. A period of closure should not be wasted," Manuel said.

"Naptosa wishes to offer its assistance to the minister and department of basic education to draft a plan that will be ready for implementation once it is evident that a stage has been reached in the flattening of the Covid-19 infection curve. Specific attention should be given to the issue of assessments and the position of our matriculants and other grades for whom it will be essential to complete the academic year."

He said even though it would be disruptive to close schools again, Naptosa was not prepared to compromise the physical and mental health of its members, or whole communities, under these circumstances.

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) said it supported its sister union Sadtu in calling for schools to close until the Covid-19 peak had passed.

Nehawu spokesperson Khaya Xaba said the union believed schools should reopen in September because temperatures would have risen by then and the rate of infection would decrease, as the virus was said to be less of a threat in warm conditions.

"The increasing number of learners and teachers who are getting infected with the virus is a serious cause for concern, and the start of the winter season, including the recent spike in transmissions in the country, necessitates that stringent measures are put in place to protect lives. Even before the peak, the department failed to put measures in place to protect learners and teachers," Xaba said.

He said many schools had been complaining about late delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE), the poor quality of PPE in most schools, no PPE for non-teaching staff, and dilapidated classrooms, while some rural schools still had no proper toilets or water supplies for the washing of hands.

"The peak of the virus is only going to exacerbate these problems, which will lead to the loss of innocent lives. The World Health Organisation has also warned against the reopening of schools while local transmissions of the coronavirus are on the rise," Xaba said.