NYAKALLO TEFU
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his full support for the Department of Basic Education’s decision to re-open schools in June.
This comes after Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced last week that schools will reopen in a phased approach, starting with the Grade 7s and Grade 12s.
“The school calendar will be revised and the curriculum will be trimmed so that we can still recover the 2020 academic year”, said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa said parents concerned about sending their children to school have the choice of not letting them return to school if they so wish.
“It is understandable that there is some concern about the reopening of schools, and I must stress that no parent will be forced to send their child to school if they are worried about safety”, said Ramaphosa.
He added that all public universities are expected to implement remote teaching and learning strategies to ensure that all students are given a fair opportunity to complete the 2020 academic year.
“With the start of alert level 3, no more than a third of the student population will be allowed to return to campuses on condition that they can be safely accommodated”, said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa has asked parents and the country at large to work together and follow precautions to ensure the safety of children who are returning to school during alert level 3.