Basic Education streamed new models to curb spread of Covid-19 as schools returned fulltime

The Basic Education Department says updated protocols have been put in place to prevent Covid-19 infections as schools returned to maximum capacity from Monday, 07 February.

The department phased out rotational learning and one-meter social distancing as part of their new adoptions.

“What we agreed with the provinces, they have to do whatever it takes to keep the environment safe, work out that there are no infections, there’s no crowding of children,” said Basic education minister Angie Motshekga.

“We adopted new measures, such as controlling traffic jams at the school entrance gates to avoid overcrowding mass, when school learners enter school premises,” she said.

The minister also said that key to the department’s recovery plan was to prevent further disruptions at schools.

“We do want everyone in the sector to vaccinate because we were told that out of 7.7 million qualifying learners only 1.2 million have been vaccinated.

And in the past 24 hours , 15 000 young people have been vaccinated, but we still call on parents to encourage young people to go for vaccination,” Motshekga said.

The minister said that vaccination would also quell fears of surging infections as classes could once again become overcrowded in some schools.

The department said that it would also be rolling out curriculum recovery plans to make up for the time lost.