KZN Schools Converted to Polling Stations: Impact on Teaching and Learning

• KZN’s Education Department has suspended teaching and learning at over 1 000 schools across the province
• The Department said the week's closure was to ensure that electoral officials had access to the schools before and after the General Election 2024
• Spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the schools would implement their recovery plans to catch up on lessons lost

Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered education and current affairs on the radio for over 15 years.

KwaZulu-Natal’s Education Department has halted academic activities at over 1 000 schools that will be used as polling stations.

Department explains the week’s closure

The department said it would hand the schools over to the IEC on 27 May 2024, meaning teaching and learning would be suspended for a week while the country decides its next president.

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According to ECR Newswatch, the closure would ensure that electoral officials could access the premises before and after the polls.

Department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the temporary closure shouldn’t affect learning, as schools would implement their recovery plans. He added that mid-year exams would be pushed back to give pupils time to catch up on their studies.

Teachers' unions weigh in on closure of schools

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union welcomed the announcement and told SABC News that the decision was a vital component of democracy. However, the National Teachers’ Union expressed concerns about the week's closure, stating that the department made the decision without consulting key stakeholders such as school governing bodies.

South Africans will head to the polls on 29 May 2024 for the national General Election.

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North West Primary School principal suspended for holding classes in toilets

Briefly News reported that the North West Department of Education suspended a principal from a primary school in Taung for holding classes in the toilets.

The principal alleged that the school was overcrowded and had no space in which to conduct the lessons. South Africans laughed and roasted the principal and humorously gave possible alternative explanations for the alleged acts.

Source: Briefly News