The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, has announced that all schools – private and public – will close on Wednesday, 30 June.
During a media briefing this morning Motshekga also announced that schools will reopen again on 19 July, instead of 26 July as it was originally scheduled for the 2021 school calendar.
Further announcements that were made include:
- The School Management Teams (SMTs), teachers, learners in hostel
facilities, and learners with special education needs waiting for parents to
pick them up, should report at school until Friday, 2 July 2021; - Schools
will make the necessary arrangements to continue to provide feeding to those
learners who are beneficiaries of the National School Nutrition Programme
(NSNP); - The usual Winter Vacation Learner Support
Programme for Grades 11 and 12, organised by provinces, districts and schools,
should continue under very strict conditions in compliance with the COVID-19
health and safety protocols; - Given the fact that learners writing the
May/June 2021 examinations are very few, these examinations and marking thereof,
should also continue under strict adherence of COVID-19 health and safety protocols;
and
The Council of Education Ministers (CEM) met this morning, 28 June to reflect on the details that President Cyril Ramaphosa presented during his family meeting last night, 27 June.
“The Sector will remain vigilant in monitoring the
developments of the epidemiology, working closely with the Ministry of Health,
to inform the implementation of the Risk Adjusted Differentiated Strategy, when
there is a need to do so, including the earlier pronounced full attendance of
primary school learners from the first day of the third school term,” she said.
Motshekga added that the vaccination programme for the Basic Education Sector personnel will proceed as planned. “The workers are
advised to adhere to their schedules, and strictly adhere to COVID-19 protocols,
as stipulated in the Regulations. Schools designated as vaccination sites, must remain open to continue with the vaccination programme.”
To date more than 200 000 educators and staff in the Basic Education Sector have been vaccinated.
Learner support during COVID-19
In light of the disruptions to schooling brought
on by COVID-19 and the move to the Risk Adjusted Level 4, the Sector has with
immediate effect activated the remote learner support programmes.
The WOZA Matrics 2021 Catch-Up Programme
and the Tswelopele Campaigns are initiatives
established by the DBE, in collaboration with the National Education
Collaboration Trust (NECT).
“These are national supplementary
remote learning campaigns, developed to support 2021 matric learners and learners
in the General Education & Training Band (GET) from Grades R to 9; with
supplementary support content, that will enable learners to catch-up on
learning losses; and enable them to enhance, acquire and develop crucial
knowledge, skills, attitudes and values during the academic year.”
The campaigns provide digital and non-digital
learning resources in partnership with a range of content providers through the
DBE-TV on Open-View Channel 122, SABC 1 and DSTV Catch-Up, YouTube channels, as
well as digital and mobile chat platforms.
“These platforms were put in place to minimise the negative impact of
COVID-19 on learning, and to provide further learning opportunities in the
context of the restrictions that are currently in place,” Motshekga said.
A detailed list of the resources is available
on the DBE website.
“We implore parents,
guardians and caregivers to ensure that during the recess, children continue to
learn, using the available resources. Doing so, will protect the gains that
have already been achieved. We also encourage our
learners to remain safe. Do not gather
in crowds. Apply hygiene practices at
all times, and avoid activities that may expose learner to infections.”
