ALL public schools will be closed for four weeks starting from Monday next week and will re-open on August 24.
This was the Cabinet decision announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his state of the nation on Thursday following calls by various civic organizations and unions for schools to close in the face of the coronavirus storm.
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Ramaphosa said only the Grade 12 will take a one week break while the Grade 7s would take a two-week break.
He said the decision was arrived at after consultations with unions, school governing bodies and it was difficult to find a common ground.
He said the department met more than 60 organizations representing parents, principals, independent schools, and civil society. Also consulted on the matter was Council of Education Ministers, representing provincial education departments.
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“What everyone does agree on, however, is that the health, academic, and social development of learners must remain our foremost concerns. With the number of infections rising in the country there have been calls for schools to close again. The department of education led by Minister Angie Motshekga has met with a number of organizations.
“These consultations produced a broad range of divergent views and it was difficult to find a common consensus on all the issues on the table,” said Ramaphosa.
He said despite the many difficulties associated with school closures, the government’s approach to reopening must be a cautious one, especially as areas of the country approach a peak in COVID-19 infections.
Ramaphosa said the consultations provided important insights into the experiences of the different stakeholders in education and produced a broad range of divergent views.
“It is necessary to report that it was difficult to find consensus on the best approach, just as there are differing views among both international and local experts on the circumstances under which schools should be re-opened.
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“Taking into account the views of the various stakeholders and expert bodies, Cabinet has decided that all public schools should take a break for the next four weeks. This means that schools will be closed from 27 July and will re-open on 24 August,” he said.
He said specific arrangements would be made for different categories of special schools.
“As a result of the disruptions caused by the pandemic, the current academic year will be extended beyond the end of 2020,” he said.
Minister Motshekga is expected to provide further details.