Motshekga to face off with unions

BASIC Education Minister Angie Motshekga is faced with a daunting task to find an amicable solution to normal schooling following conflicting views by various stakeholders on the future of education given the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Motshekga had this week been consulting with various stakeholders in education on whether schools should remain open, but some parties have expressed mixed opinions on the matter.

The South African Human Rights Commission was the latest to add its voice in support for schools to remain open.

The commission said it supports the call saying learners have lost more schooling days due to the virus.

However, Motshekga is likely to face teachers’ unions today – in her last bid to gauge their opinion. Unions remain adamant that schools should be shut down until the virus has subsided.

Yesterday, it was not clear whether Motshekga would back down after President Cyril Ramaphosa indicated that the National Coronavirus Command Council was likely to consider the World Health Organization’s views that schools should not be reopened when communities continue to be affected by the virus.

South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) also made a similar call this week, urging all stakeholders to avoid using education as a platform to gain “cheap political points” but also urge the powers that be to get their ears on the ground and respond to the loud calls of communities in suspending classes.

Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said: “A significant number of schools are already experiencing a high number of absenteeism due to the anxiety and fear that both learners and parents are experiencing.”

The situation was compounded this week when Motshekga revealed that more than 16 000 teachers would be unable to resume normal teaching as they had comorbidities.

Motshekga made these revelations in her parliamentary answers to questions from DA MP and spokesperson on basic education Nomsa Marchesi.

The DA, however, has expressed doubt about it, saying it was not clear at this point whether there were enough substitute teachers to assist affected schools.

Marchesi said there is a greater need for an effective effort by the Education Department to capacitate schools by bringing in more teachers, saying her party firmly believes that universities and FET colleges could play a critical role in this regard.