Union protests against school reopening
“Let the current academic year-end in 2021, maybe around May, and we can then start a new one next year June.”
On Monday, Congress of South African Students (Cosas) members protested in Soshanguve against the reopening of schools in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Learners are ready to return to school but the department is not ready,” said Cosas Tshwane regional secretary Thabiso Mhlangu.
Grade 12s returned to the classroom on Monday after a week-long break, while grade 7 learners will return next week.
The other grades will return on 24 August.
ALSO READ: Gender-based violence protest at Union Buildings
“You will find that in some schools no protective personal equipment (PPE) has been delivered and the environment is not conducive for our learners,” he said.
“The department failed learners long before this pandemic came and we cannot rely on them now during the peak of the pandemic.”
Mhlangu said they were not calling for the department to cancel the current academic year, but to extend it.
“Let it end next year, maybe around May, and we can then start a new one next year June.”
Mhlangu said they feared that other grades who have not been to school since the lockdown would not cope with the pressure of having to wrap up the current academic year.
“Those grades would not cope because they have not done anything since they were at home. We have learners who are struggling to pass during a period of 12 months. How are they expected to pass in a period of 3-4 months? It would be too much for them.”
Mhlangu said it could not be right that other grades were given four weeks to stay at home, while matrics have only been given one week.
ALSO READ: Teacher union reject re-opening of schools
He added that they wanted private schools as well as public schools to be shut down.
Mhlangu said last week the student organisation managed to close down Curro Academy and Prestige College in Soshanguve.
“We are busy with private schools. We believe that everyone must be treated equal because it cannot be right that learners from the private sector are suffering and we are not representing them.”
Mahlangu said Cosas wanted to protect the rights of learners.
Mahlangu said they are planning a major shutdown for Friday and were waiting for the go-ahead from national structures to draw in other provinces.
“We will be calling it a total shutdown and we are just waiting for other areas such as like Hammanskraal, Mamelodi and Centurion to get back to us.”
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
