Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and the nine provincial education MECs around the country have announced only Grades R, 6 and 11 will return to school on Monday, July 6.
In a government gazette published earlier in June, Motshekga had announced Grades R, 1, 2, 3, 6, 10 and 11 would return to school on Monday under strict COVID-19 guidelines and protocols.
But on Thursday, the Council of Education Ministers (CEM), which comprises Motshekga and her deputy, and the nine provincial education MECs and their heads of departments, decided to amend the earlier decision.
Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the council had considered five reports before making the decision.
He said Motshekga would brief the public at the weekend.
“After careful consideration of all the reports CEM took a decision that only Grade 6, Grade 11 and Grade R will return to school on Monday, July 6, 2020. The decision affects all provinces,” Mhlanga said.
“The other grades will be phased during the month of July in a differentiated approach within the stipulated time frames as per the gazette of 29 June 2020 as published by the minister.”
Mhlanga said the five reports that were considered pertained to timetabling and curriculum fundamentals per grade, the registration and support for pupils whose parents had elected they be kept home but did not register for home schooling, support for pupils with comorbidities and assessing and examining in a COVID-19 environment.
Motshekga said the CEM would adjust the reopening based on a risk-adjusted approach which considered attempts to find a balance between schools reopening and all the factors that affected the work of the education system.
“We are guided in this by an observation of the rising numbers of community transmissions throughout the country,” the minister said.
“We recognise that schools are based in communities and learners live in the same affected communities and therefore a careful balancing act must be maintained.” – IOL