We are ready to start the new schooling year, says Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga

Johannesburg- It is all systems go for the start of the new school year as learners start returning to class from tomorrow, says the Department of Basic Education.

Briefing the nation on the department’s readiness to resume the 2022 school year Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga – who was joined by Deputy Minister Dr Reginah Mhaule, Director General Mathanzima Mweli and Deputy Director General Simone Geyer – said primary schools have been given the green light to resume learning at full capacity.

Primary schools will, however, be required to provide a “feasible distance” between learners, she said.

She added that learners will also be required to take “regular mask breaks of between five to 10 minutes”.

High schools, on the other hand, will not open up completely for learning. Motshekga said given that high schools have bigger numbers of learners, it was not possible for some schools to resume learning at full capacity and therefore rotational learning will be applied in those schools.

Motshekga said though schools will encourage learners to vaccinate, she assured parents that vaccinations are the responsibility of the Health Department.

She said the consent of children and parents aged 12 to 17 is required by the Department of Health before vaccinations are conducted only at vaccination sites.

Geyer said 13 million learners have been admitted at various schools in the country for the 2022 academic year, adding that under 400 000 are still to be placed.

She said late applications result in late placements of learners. She added that the influx of learners of children from rural areas to urban areas also contributes to placement backlogs.

“There are insufficient schools in urban areas. There’s also no way of knowing or predicting the influx,” she said.

“Parents have particular choices,” she said, adding that they do not give second and third choices. Motshekgwa also conceded that challenges with the online application system in Gauteng has also added to the late placements, adding that some parents – due to various reasons – were not using the online system, preferring to apply in person, causing further challenges.

Schools in Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West open tomorrow.  Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape return on January 19.