Department of Education Extranet

NC Schools reopening on Monday

The Northern Cape schools will be re-opening for the Grade 7 and 12 learners on Monday, 8 June 2020.

Premier Dr Zamani Saul and Members of Executive Council are deployed to schools to conduct onsite monitoring during the reopening processes.

MEC for Education, Mac Jack stated that in making a determination of readiness, a thorough assessment of the issues of the material conditions on the ground was undertaken.

“We visited schools in the Province to satisfy ourselves of the actual issues. It is in this light that we have applied ourselves to ensuring that the learners walk into a safe environment. We have satisfied ourselves that the key issues identified as a basis for readiness are well attended and addressed,” said MEC JJack.

The Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Dr. Reginah Mhaule will accompany the MEC tomorrow morning during his visit to Pampierstad High School (07h30) and Taudiarora Primary School.

Re-Opening of Schools

• ·         Department has issued related COVID-19 guidelines and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to schools and offices
• ·         School Principals and School Management Teams returned to work on Monday, 1 June 2020.
• ·         The Principals and SMT’s received PPE’s and prepared the schools for receiving the Educators, Grade 7 and Grade 12 learners.
• ·         The Educators returned to work on the 3rd of June 2020.
• ·         On Monday, 8 June 2020, we are expecting 12,606 Grade 12 and 24,995 Grade 7 learners will return for normal teaching and learning.
• ·         The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) will commence on the 1st day of schooling.
• ·         Our partnership with the Department of Health assisted to ensure that School Management Teams, Educators, Cleaners and Screeners were orientated and trained on COVID-19.
• ·         In collaboration with the Department of Social Development, qualified Social Worker graduates will assist with psycho-social support in schools.
• ·         As part of our contingency plans, the Department has made provision for substitute educators where necessary.

Comorbidities

The DPSA Circular 18 of 2020 indicates that, in deciding an employee’s appropriateness to work remotely, the Head of Department should consider the high risk COVID-19 poses to vulnerable employees, including those over age 60 and those with comorbidities.

The Department completed an audit of educators with co-morbidities and the educators that are 60 years and older with comorbidities. A total of 1,745 educators indicated that they have pre-medical conditions and would therefore not be able to return to the classroom.

From this total, 628 educators form part of the cohort that teach Grade 7 and Grade 12 learners. This total include educators that are 60 years and older with comorbidities.

The Department published guidelines and advisory notes to assist schools to address the challenges that might arise. In instances where educators are not able to return due to co-morbidities a substitute educator will be appointed by the department.

As part of the Department’s contingency plan, substitute educators will be appointed in schools in instances where the educators in substantive posts are unable to return due to comorbidities. This will address the possible loss of teaching time.

To date a total of 1143 unemployed educators applied and registered on the Departmental unemployed database. This database will be utilized to appoint substitute educators to school. To ensure that schools have access to the substitutes immediately the database will be published on the Departmental Human Resource Management System. All schools have access to this system.

Phasing in of Special Schools

• ·         Three (3) Special Schools will be opening on Monday.
• ·         Kleinzee Special School for 25 Grade 7 learners, Elizabeth Conradie Special School for 23 Grade 7 learners and Retlameleng Special School for 27 Grade 7 learners.
• ·         Parents of learners with co-morbidities have been advised to keep their children at home.
• ·         We further appeal to parents to inform your school of any underlying medical condition your child might have so that the necessary support can be provided in this regard.

Progress on phased in approach of re-opening

• ·         A recovery plan has been developed for both GET (Gr 1-9) and FET (Gr 10-12) as per the phased in approach.
• ·          The Annual Teaching Plan (ATP) which is informed by the Re-organised and trimmed Curriculum was distributed to schools.
• ·         The mediation of these ATP’s commenced and schools are informed accordingly.
• ·         Circulars were issued to schools to outline the extension of teaching time as well as how COVID-19 must be incorporated across the Curriculum.
• ·         Curriculum Recovery Strategies will include:

a) Extension of teaching and learning time;

b) Curriculum interventions;

c) Review of assessment and examination requirements

d) Additional support will be provided to learners

Home Education

Parents who want to take the route of Home Education must register their child by applying to the Head of the Department.

Parents may apply only for their own children to be home educated, and not parents or people who intend to "home school" other parents children at his or her home, as this is the process for independent schools with different policy directives.

• ·      The home education you can offer your child must be within the scope of the following compulsory phases of education:

a) Foundation Phase (Grades 1-3);

b) Intermediate Phase (Grade 4-6); and

c) Senior Phase (Grade 7-9).

Hygiene Packs for Schools

Items for the basic hygiene packs include liquid soap, hand sanitizers, surgical gloves, protective face shield, cloth masks, plastic aprons, disinfectant, thermometers and biohazard bags.

All schools received their basic hygiene packs. We have made provision for emergency hygiene packs available to districts to assist schools that might be in need of top-ups at any given time. This will be readily available schools and it is managed by our district offices.

Face shields were supplied to all educators, ECD Practitioners, food handlers and deaf learners in Special Schools.

Learner Transport

A total of 1,967 Grade 12 and 1,562 Grade 7 learners are transported through the Learner Transport programme.

To ensure the health and safety of our learners making use of Learner Transport, the Department handed sanitizers to operators to disinfect their vehicles on a daily basis before transporting learners.

A total of 349 vehicles will be used to transport Grade 7 and Grade 12 learners.

The training of service providers & District officials commenced on Tuesday 02 June and was concluded on Friday 05 June 2020.

Two (2) sessions training were held in Frances Baard, one in Kimberley and one in Pampierstad. Forty-one (41) Transporters attended these sessions, and all 41 in attendance indicated that they will be ready on Monday to transport the learners (Grade 7 & 12).

In Namakwa seventeen (17) Transporters attended, and all 17 indicated that they will be transporting learners on Monday. Two of the 17 cited financial difficulties, but that they also promised to try and make a plan.

Forty-nine (49) Transporters attended the JTG training session. They all indicated that they will be transporting learners. However, many of them mentioned that they do not have money for fuel.

The first PKS session was held in De Aar and 9 Transporters attended this session, and all 9 indicated that they will be transporting the learners on Monday.

The last sessions held on Friday was a second PKS session in Prieska and two sessions in ZFM District. In the second PKS session only 9 of the 15 invited Transporters attended, and all 9 indicated their willingness to transport learners on Monday. Twenty-eight (28) Operators attended the ZFM sessions.

Altogether a total number of 153 Transporters attended the training and orientaion, and those indicating their willingness to transport learners from Monday will be issued with the necessary sanitizing material.

Screening and Cleaning at schools

In line with the COVID-19 requirements the Department appointed to date a total of 1,708 Screeners and a total of 627 Cleaners at schools.

The cleaning process in schools is progressing well and the schools will be ready for re-opening.

The Cleaning staff will ensure that all schools are regularly cleaned in line with the COVID-19 requirements.

The Screeners will ensure the daily screening of educators, learners and staff at the school. The Screeners were trained on the procedures with the assistance of the Department of Health.

The Screeners will also assist with the enforcement of general hygiene practices at schools during the day.

Schools Infrastructure

Infrastructure challenges that could affect the re-opening of schools have been addressed. Medium to long term challenges that will not affect the re-opening of schools are being addressed.

Despite these infrastructure challenges all schools will be able to open on 08 June 2020.

We have commenced with the maintenance and repairs to the 101 vandalised / burgled schools. The damages or losses incurred will not impact on the reopening of these schools.

Four schools were reported as having no water supply (Van Der Waltspoort PS in Pixley Ka Seme District, Swartkopsdam VKK PS and Cornelius Jansen PS in ZF Mgcawu District and Taudiarora PS (In Frances Baard District). These are farm schools who are supplied with water from the farmer or from a canal. These challenges are being addressed to ensure these schools will be provided with water when schools re-open.

105 schools have been identified with water challenges which require maintenance and repairs to the water infrastructure and the provision of additional storage facilities where the need was determined.

To speed up the process of undertaking repairs and maintenance at schools, principals were instructed to utilise the school maintenance allocation and utilise local service providers.

We appeal to the public at large to remain calm, exercise extreme caution, remain vigilant and practice good hygiene and safety, whilst at home.

We further encourage parents to ensure that those learners who will remain at home, use this time optimally to do school related work.

We depend on our parents to fulfil their responsibility and assist learners with schoolwork whilst at home. After all our homes are the first institutions of learning.

We will update the public on a regular basis on the progress made to establish a conducive environment for teaching and learning during this difficult time.

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