Paediatric Association backs return to school
Children and young people have lower susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, with 56 per cent lower odds of being an infected contact.
WHILE the minister of Basic Education has delayed the date for schools to reopen, the South African Paediatric Association (SAPA) is in support of schools opening.
The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga delayed school’s from opening on 1 June after she received three critical reports from the Council of Education Minister (CEM). The reports raised concerns about school readiness and sufficient water supplies.
“Based on these reports, it became clear that the sector was at different levels of readiness. In the main, it was for this reason that the CEM determined that the sector requires more time to mop-out its state of readiness for school reopening, in order to comply with the health and safety standards on Covid-19,” said Motshekga.
Also read:Education minister assesses readiness for school reopening
In a statement, SAPA said they support the government’s position that children should return to school.
“The benefits of returning to school, particularly for poorer children, include the positive impact on their learning, access to the School Nutrition Programme, and mental health and well-being gains. Only about 20 per cent of school children are currently benefiting from online schooling according to the DBE. School reopening will increase parents’ and caregivers’ ability to return to work,” read the statement.
As a professional society representing paediatricians, SAPA also drew on medical data , saying children account for just 1-3 per cent of reported Covid-19 cases across countries.
Also read: More than 300 000 KZN learners to head back to school
“Children and young people have lower susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, with 56 per cent lower odds of being an infected contact,” read the statement.
While this data is not definitive, SAPA said it reflects the current best evidence.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532. 
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
