Wentworth schools’ to remain closed as SGBs challenge education department

WENTWORTH Combined School Governing Bodies (SGB) Forum stands united against the re-opening of schools from Monday, 1 June.

In an official letter to the Department of Education, the Wentworth Combined SGB Forum has clearly stated that they refuse schooling in Wentworth until the department accepts full responsibility for anything that is Covid-19 related which may lead to a disability or death.

The unanimous decision is said to have been made at an ‘unprecedented and historic meeting’ between the Wentworth Schools Governing Bodies chairpersons and deputy chairpersons recently. After much deliberation and discussion, a decision was taken and consensus reached that none of the schools which fall under the forum will open their gates.

The local schools include: Assegai Primary, Austerville Primary, Collingwood Primary, Durban East Primary, Gardenia Primary School, Wentworth Primary, Fairvale Secondary, Umbilo Secondary and Wentworth Secondary.

“Wentworth Combined SGB Forum declares without fear or favour that although education of our learners is of paramount importance, so too is the well-being of our educators and the greater community our schools service. Assurances given by the Department of Education have not been met the basic conditions laid down by a united union force. All of these pre-requisites are essential to ensure a smooth transition to a new normal as we will know it. The department has failed us dismally in this regard and it is incumbent on us as the Wentworth Combined SGB Forum to enforce our mandate from our constituencies, that schools will not open until all conditions are met. We are not prepared as governing bodies to send family members of any learner or educator a bouquet of flowers for the loss of a family member that we failed to protect due to Covid-19. We reject wholeheartedly and with the contempt the KZN Department of Education Circular 29 of 2020,” reads the letter.

The letter goes on to mention that SGBs are not instructed by the Department of Education nor are they employed to the department. “The SGBs are not qualified to interview any sort of personnel for deep cleaning of schools. This is the responsibility of the department which they are passing onto the SGBs and principals. We reject it in its entirety. Principals and SGBs taking on the mammoth task would open ourselves to legal action should a fatality occur despite the deep cleaning. The Department of Education quite easily could deny all responsibility and pass it on to the SGB and principal who agreed to whatever it may be.”

Other factors presented by Wentworth Combined SGB Forum spokesperson and Deputy Chairman of Assegai Primary SGB, Clint Leverton, include small classroom space that is not conducive to social distancing and that educators cannot be expected to monitor and implement sanitising issues while still being expected to teach learners.

“Parents have made it abundantly clear that they will not send their children into a death trap especially with no guarantees or assurances. We are totally opposed to school resuming any time soon. Schools should be the last to return after every other sector of the economy has returned. Our message to our nine schools in Wentworth is that no school will open its gates. Yes, our children’s education is important, but far more important is having a child alive because we protected them, than to have a dead child because we failed to act in their best interest even though the facts were before us,” said Andre De Bruin, Chairman on Assegai Primary SGB.

Schools in Merebank and Clairwood have also come on board to support the decision to keep schools closed. “We are saying no children should return to school. No schooling, repeat a grade don’t dig a grave. Our children, schools and community is our priority. By looking out for our children, we are looking out for our community. If schools open and there is a positive case of Covid-19, children will in turn infect the community. We stand firm in our decision,” said chairman of the Merebank Schooling District SGB Brian Houston.

When contacted for comment on the matter, KZN Department of Education provincial spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said, “All teachers are expected to report for duty on Thursday, 28 May. All grade 7s and grade 12s are required to be at school on Monday, 1 June.”

The KZN MEC for Education, Kwazi Mshengu after a thorough consultative meeting with the education sector, assured parents, learners and educators, during a media briefing on Sunday 24 May, that the Department has procured enough PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that will last for the next six months and that all protocols will be adhered to in terms of the National Disaster Management Act regulations under level three lockdown.

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