Any infected pupil, teacher or staff member will be from outside the school yard. Keeping the pupils from returning to school is not going to stop them from being infected, writes Phala Modise
Alternatively, should we succumb to a different draconian threat of the Covid-19 coronavirus and refuse that the schools should be reopened – until I am not sure when?They say “we will peak either in August, September or October this year”, whatever that means.
Unfortunately, this means the “monied” countries, the so-called developed nations, are likely to have the first bite of the cherry then eventually us the “emerging markets” will get our turn.Now here is my question, should we not reopen the schools as proposed by Motshekga with all the long list of objections by the teacher unions?
It doesn’t matter that there are various SABC channels trying to help pupils at home with catch-up tuition or not as Motshekga hinted, the strength of teaching in a primary and high school pupil is in a classroom. As has already been argued by the minister when the Grade 7s and Grade 12s arrive at a school, they are the easier to take instructions.They arrive and the whole school is available to them, which means social distancing should not be a problem.
They will receive masks, which they may or may not get while at home; they will receive meals, their daily ration of a school feeding scheme.
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