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While the Department of Education in KwaZulu- Natal has declared a state of readiness for the reopening of schools on the 15th of February 2021, the Economic Freedom Fighters in the province notes with anger that a Department that should be in touch with the sad reality of most provincial schools would make such a careless statement.

We can never deny the fact that 70 % of the province’s schools are situated in rural areas where having enough clean water and proper sanitation facilities is a luxury. It is however disappointing to note that a Department that is supposed to prioritize the health and safety of teachers and pupils has chosen to visit a few schools whose conditions are not dire, and thereafter has openly declared that it is all systems go for the reopening of schools.

We note that while the Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Basic Education Miss Bongiwe Mbinqo- Gigaba has raised concerns that before schools reopen, the department needs to act urgently on issues relating to providing learner transport, provision of water and filling vacant positions as currently a high teacher vacancy rate exists at various levels across the province, the department has chosen to pompously ignore such advice.

While clean water and proper sanitation facilities have become more important than ever amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, it would be irresponsible for the Department to expect teachers and pupils from those schools that lack basic infrastructure to work with what they have without having made provision. To date some rural schools have been without enough PPE’s since last year, and yet they are expected to be fully operational when schools reopen. In light of the concerns raised above, we therefore call on the department to delay the opening of schools until all the necessary requirements have been met.

Issued by The EFF in KZN