SADTU Rejects Basic Education’s Schools Re-Opening Plan

Nyakallo Tefu and Charles Molele

The South African Democratic Teachers Union has accused the Department of Basic Education of engaging in bad faith, insisting that no schools will be re-opened until their demands are met.

This comes hours after the Department of Basic Education’s Director-General Hubert Mweli announced COVID-19 sector plans on the re-opening of schools next week, starting with Grade 12 and Grade 7 learners using a phasing approach.

The Department’s approach to re-open schools is largely informed by rigorous research on the ground, National Coronavirus Command Council COVID-19 protocols and solid comparative studies with other countries, which includes Taiwan, China and Denmark.

 SADTU said the Department’s approach was deeply flawed and not backed by scientific data, given the recent spurt in COVID-19 cases in South Africa.

The country has 4 996 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 93 deaths related to the coronavirus. This is an increase of 203 on