South Africa schools get a thumbs up on their first day of re-opening after the COVID-19 break
The day started smoothly in most schools across the country, in Gauteng (Soweto) thousands of Grade 7’s and 12’s pupils returned to classrooms after a school break that lasted over two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic that hit South Africa in the beginning of March this year.
The joy and worrisome feelings were written on the pupil’s faces at Nkone Maruping Primary and Thulani Secondary Schools in Bram Fischer, Soweto as they were being addressed by the Gauteng MEC for Finance and eGovernment. She visited these schools to assess the state of readiness and safety compliance as set out by the National Coronavirus Command Council, under the Disaster Management Act regulations.
“It is encouraging to see both schools adhering to the health and safety regulations, as you observed the difference with the first school (Thulani Secondary School), it’s an old school and as you can see this is the latest school (Nkoane Maruping primary school) the government has built a new smart school and what is important is that the ICT is here, which is part of the work that I’m doing in the province”, said MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko
On the photo: Gauteng’s MEC for Finance and eGovernment Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko with the School Management Team at Nkone Maruping Primary School in Bram Fischer.
“Another thing that the principal was telling me when I arrived which I’ve seen now in action, they use their tablets to write their names and all the questions they’re asked about Covid19 and all that information is fed on the school system and everything is known about all the work they’re doing”, added MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko.
“But again they are so young and vulnerable,you can see they’re following the regulations and that’s the encouraging thing – now the message we must send out there to their parents is to comply on the regulations, because if parents don’t comply these children are protected here as you can see the environment and when they go back home they’ll definitely meet other people and mingle around and catch this virus. So, we need to protect these children”, as MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko concluded.
Health and safety measures were adhered to and strict protocols when pupils were arriving at the school. This include social distancing with the sitting arrangements in the classroom and as well as during the arrival time at the school as they met one another for the first time after a long while.
The primary school received about 142 of 174 pupils in the Grade 7 camp of returnees who reported for the resumption of the schooling programme, while the secondary school had 174 out of 192 Grade 12’s, which made a difference of about 90% of learner attendance of the first day of reopening.
Schools have been cleaned and well maintained with proper signage, clearly marked to the learners and the School Management Teams including School Government Bodies have ensured the schools are highly maintained and kept safe. This was after the Basic Education department nationwide saw a number of schools being broken into which compromised the safe reopening of schools and caused delayed.
The MEC expressed her satisfaction with the environment in these schools and the safety measures put in place by the department. MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko was accompanied by the Education District Director in the province, the MMC for Community Safety in the City of Johannesburg and the School Management Teams. This was a special day for MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko as she was celebrating her birthday, visiting and checking the school’s state of readiness.
On the photo: Gauteng’s Basic Education District Director (standing) presenting the stats, MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko (seated in front) listening to the presentation at Thulani Secondary School.
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