Johannesburg – The Free State education system has seen several schools close due Covid-19 outbreaks, just weeks before the June examinations kickstart.
One of the province’s best-performing schools, Eunice High School, in Bloemfontein was closed on Friday but is set to reopen at the end of the month, while another school in Bloemfontein, Bohmer Special School, reported that four pupils had tested positive for the deadly virus.
Tebang Primary School in Qwaqwa also had to close after five teachers and 11 pupils contracted the virus. The Lejweleputswa district, which includes Welkom, is the hardest-hit region in the province with 52 teachers, pupils and administration staff having tested positive for the virus.
The province’s education system has registered 150 positive cases.
Free State Education Department’s Howard Ndaba said parents and members of the community must avoid visiting schools unless necessary.
“The department calls on learners, teachers, non-teaching staff in all our schools to be vigilant and religiously observe non-pharmaceutical Covid-19 protocols, which include wearing of masks and the regular sanitising of hands at all times.”
The Free State province is said to have entered the third wave of the pandemic, which has claimed more than 55 000 lives in just over a year. Teachers’ union Sadtu in the Free State has embarked on a campaign referred to as “Operation Letsema” to interact with members at school level where, among others, they advocate the importance of complying with Covid-19 regulations and protocols.
The Department of Basic Education announced on Wednesday that contact sports have been suspended at schools across the country with immediate effect. Andre de Bruyn, the spokesperson of the Educators Union of South Africa, said all schools in the country must be closed.
“We have received worrying reports about principals who hide new reported cases from their colleagues and the learner community. This means that contacts are not traced and advised to quarantine or get tested,” De Bruyn said.
Research by National Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey shows that the 2020 overall school year was reduced from a planned 198 days to 156 days due to lockdown restrictions.
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