Schools operate as normal despite national shutdown
The education department said the majority of schools in Gauteng were not disrupted by planned protests on Wednesday morning.
The Department of Education says some schools experienced low learner attendance because of the trade union national shutdown on Wednesday morning but the majority were unaffected.
Trade unions, SA democratic teachers union (Sadtu), Congress of SA trade unions (Cosatu) and SA federation of trade unions (Saftu) among others embarked on a protest in Pretoria and throughout the country.
The unions said they were protesting against rising cost of living, including consistent increasing fuel prices, “workers cannot afford high public transportation fares”.
Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said the schooling in the province was uninterrupted.
“We have received positive reports from our districts across the province stating that learning and teaching has not been disrupted at schools,” Mabona said.
“We are not severely affected by the strike happening today, however, our districts have communicated a challenge of low to average learner attendance.”
He said most teachers were at schools in the morning despite teacher unions being part of the strike.
“We are preparing to facilitate preliminary examinations for matriculants and, as such, we appeal that schools must not be disrupted during this preparation process. As it stands, we have limited teaching days before learners write their final examinations,” Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi was quoted as having said.
Some schools in Mamelodi alerted parents that schools would close earlier than usual on Wednesday due to teachers joining the strike midday.
Mabona said the department would check in the afternoon throughout the province if teachers joined the strike.
Gauteng Cosatu chairperson, Amos Monyela said the union also wanted the government to resolve problems at Eskom.
“We believe if you can manage and rescue Eskom then it would revive the economy. When there is no reliable energy companies close down and jobs are affected,” Monyela said.
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