Learners will return to school on a full-time basis, following the use of a rotational timetable for the past two years.
After a special meeting was held with the National Coronavirus Command Council and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s coordinating council, Cabinet has approved a few changes to adjusted alert level one of the Covid-19 regulations. The minister in the presidency, Mondli Gungubele, made the announcement on Monday in a media statement.
The Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, and MEC for education, Debbie Schäfer, have welcomed Cabinet’s decision. Winde said: “We need our children in class for as long as possible, if we are to reverse the detrimental impact that the pandemic has had on their learning.”
Schäfer agrees and added: “The time lost in school has implications not only for academic progress, but also aggravates societal issues such as learner pregnancies and the risk of dropping out of school.”
Meanwhile, schools are making the necessary plans so that they can be ready to receive all learners from Monday next week. Gungubele stated that the departments of health and basic education will soon issue guidelines on the changes.
The amendments include:. All schools will resume full-time learning;. One metre social distancing in schools are being suspended;. Positive cases with no symptoms do not have to isolate;. The isolation period has been reduced to seven days;. Contacts of positive cases do not have to isolate, unless they develop symptoms.
