Staff Reporter
Only learners in Grades 6 and 11 in the Free State are expected back in school Monday when South Africa extends its phased school reopening programme.
Education MEC Tate Makgoe told a virtual media briefing hosted by the national Department of Basic Education that learners in Grade R will be phased in later in the month as part of measures to limit congestion in schools.
“We are ready to take Grades 6 and 11,” Makgoe said.
“We have also indicated that where schools are ready, we will take Grade R learners,” he added.
Makgoe said he is confident schools in the province are ready to take in more learners as their systems were tested and adjusted when Grades 7 and 12 resumed classes at the beginning of June.
“Our systems were tested,” the MEC said.
“Our alliance or working relationship with the Department of Health was tested and therefore we believe that we are ready for more grades.”
He said he was glad that the Council of Education Ministers had agreed not to take all the grades at once but do it in a staggered manner to allow for any possible adjustments that may be required.
Makgoe allayed fears of most parents with children in Grade R who are worried they could contract COVID-19 saying their systems were secure and it was their aim to keep all learners safe.
“The biggest issue about Grade R is that there’s a lot of anxiety amongst the parents . . . people being worried that their bundles of joy may be affected,” he said.
“But if you look at the experiences we have had now . . . all the COVID-19 cases we have had so far, they only came from the high schools and our health system has been able to address some of those issues.”
Over the past month, classes have been suspended at some schools across the province to allow for decontamination after cases of COVID-19 were reported.
No complications have been reported among the learners and staff who tested positive for COVID-19 in the education sector in the Free State as most have fully recovered and either returned to school or work.