Back to school headache.

Sekhukhune

 

As education institution opened from Monday, demands for safety measures adhering to strict Covid-19 rules with dilapidated infrastructure but ministry says all is set for the new normal.

A day before schools re-opened, Rasikhinya Matevhutevhu Michael, provincial chairperson of Education Union of South Africa said, most schools were not in good condition to open their premises safely.

At the time, Rasikhinya, alleged no single school received hand sanitizers and that only the Grade R pupils received masks in the province.

“No school is ready unless if we just say let them go to school. No single sanitiser is delivered to any school,” he alleged.

Chairperson said majority of schools didn’t receive stationery and those that did received incomplete stationary.

“You see, the department delivered some stationery at some schools to silence the media,” he believed.

He said the department called the principals and advised them to buy sanitizers with school funds.

“Not so long ago, this province had PPE problems which were not up to standard and now principals are instructed to buy sanitizers without allocated budget,” he explained.

He said the contracts for some educators were temporary/substitute in 2020 and were not renewed.

Rasikhinya said the department is doing everything in their power to close unions out. He however said his organisation would engage them and other stakeholders to raise issues.

“I think these people don’t care, if they do then we have a leadership crisis,” he concluded.

Meanwhile the Member of Executive Committee (MEC) for education, Polly Boshielo said she was comfortable with the kickstart of the 2021 academic year.

MEC Boshielo said most schools in the province are coping with the new normal.

Boshielo said all the school have procured the necessary personal protective equipment and stationery.

She said some schools could not procure the national school nutrition programme food hampers on time due to unavoidable delays from suppliers.