Covid-19: Dept of Education announces tentative school return date

Covid-19: Dept of Education announces tentative school return date

- The Department of Education has announced a tentative date for the re-opening of South African schools

- The detailed plan includes allowing the first few grades to return to school as early as 6 May

- However, these dates are subject to change and only two grades will be allowed to return on this date

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The Department of Education has announced a tentative plan to allow schooling to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic.

During a media briefing on the current plan, the department revealed that Grades 7 and 12 will be allowed to return as early as 6 May if all goes smoothly.

A Standard Operating Procedures document will provide clarity on what is expected to take place at schools in a bid to prevent any possible infections, Briefly.co.za gathered.

Learners, educators and support staff will be receiving training and orientation when schools open with the school calendar adjusted to account for the interruptions, including plans to shorten school holidays.

This is an official video release of a statement from the Department of Basic Education:

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Schools will be expected to carry out daily screening to check the temperatures of pupils and teachers alike, those who present high temperatures will be considered for isolation and testing.

Pupils will be provided with two cloth face masks as part of the proposed 'essential hygiene and sanitation package'.

A key priority is ensuring strict hygiene measures are put into place and water is available for regular hand washing.

The department looked to how other nations handled Covid-19 when it came to allowing schools to return to normal, noting that Taiwan had employed strict social distancing, temperature screening, face masks and even plastic dividers between desks.

China had adopted a similar plan, allowing gradual phases for different grades to resume schooling.

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Source: Briefly News

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