SAHRC urges Education Department to rethink reopening of schools
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has written to the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga to reconsider the re-opening of schools from 01 June 2020 for the return of Grade 7 and Grade 12 learners to school.
The Commission says it has conducted independent monitoring of schools for readiness in all 9 provinces and consulted with various stakeholders, including teachers’ unions and school governing bodies.
The commission's Gushwell Brooks says the reopening of schools should be done in tandem with reasonable and adequate measures and efforts to safeguard the right to health of pupils and teachers.
"It is thus important that necessary minimum conditions that need to be met for the re-opening of schools, such as access to adequate clean water and sanitation, social distancing, the availability of personal protective equipment, training and the general sanitization of schools, are met," says Brooks.
Brooks says the feedback from provincial offices shows that many schools have not achieved the required readiness to receive learners.
"Most observations from our provincial offices highlight the shortage or inadequacy of water and sanitation as well as personal protective equipment. Some even reported that the necessary training was still outstanding."
He added: "Other observations made during monitoring in provinces are that the levels of readiness for many rural schools are significantly low. The monitoring continues," says Brooks
The schools governing bodies informed the Commission on Thursday of about 3,500 schools that still have no adequate water.
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She visited three schools in Gauteng on Thursday to assess their state of readiness. Speaking at Hoërskool Kempton Park, Motshekga said some schools have asked for more time to prepare. "Some provinces are saying to me that their PPEs (personal protective equipment) are still on their way.