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Opinionista

There is a dire need for pupils to return to school as soon as possible, despite findings of dipstick National Readiness Survey

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Debbie Schäfer is the Western Cape MEC for Education.

The survey by South Africa’s five teacher unions, which concluded that schools aren’t ready to reopen on 15 February, has serious flaws. The sooner we get our children back into school, the better.

I read with interest the latest National School Readiness Survey by the teacher unions, which has led to at least one headline that “the majority of schools aren’t ready to open on 15 February”.

The stated purpose of what is admittedly a “dipstick” survey of “perceptions of principals” (before they actually returned to work), is to “rapidly access (sic) perceptions of principals… so that the necessary steps can be taken to support principals for reopening and leading schools in 2021”.   

While we all need support, and in the Covid-19 context even more so, I do have some concern that principals are portrayed by the survey as rather helpless individuals who are dependent on “the government” (of which they are a part) to do everything for them. Obviously, government must supply the basics, but leadership and management are very much part of a principal’s job. The management of Covid-19 in our schools and the leadership shown by our principals in the majority of our schools in the latter half of 2020 shows just how capable our principals are. The current protocols and regulations are no different from what we have seen, experienced and successfully implemented last year. 

I sincerely hope that the real objective of this survey – and its publication – is not to try to delay, yet again, the reopening of schools. Because the children (and I suspect most parents) are not ready for that

Some concerns I have about the actual “research”, aside from the admitted limitations in methodology, are set out below.

Firstly, the statement is made that schools are not ready to open about 28 days before the rescheduled opening date. This is stated to have been adjusted after a meeting with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) on 27 January. It is uncertain how the DBE could gauge the perceptions of the same principals who completed the survey and somehow “adjust” them.

Secondly, where there is insufficient data, the assumption is made that the figure has been underestimated (for example, teacher infections and mortality). Why, in the context of infection rates decreasing? 

Third, much is made of the levels of anxiety and grief. This goes without saying, and we mourn every person we have lost and extend condolences to their loved ones, but it is not confined to the education sector. Everyone experiences anxiety about this pandemic and its consequences, but their work has to continue.  

Fourth, the statement is made that “levels of community risk are surging across all provinces”. The “evidence” used to back this up is a set of graphs reportedly downloaded on 18 February 2021 from a website called “Media Hack”, which shows every province except the Free State moving downwards. As at the date of writing, all provinces are on a distinctly downward trajectory. This statement is thus blatantly false. 

At the end of the survey, concerns raised by principals regarding readiness include: 

  • Movement of children in and out of high infection rate areas with little control. (Surely that is a reason for them to be in school, which is a controlled environment, and has been shown to be a safe environment, provided all the protocols are followed?);
  • Lack of space in schools to maintain effective social distancing. This is not new, which is why rotating timetables have been provided for;
  • Lack of deep cleaning resources – this myth of “deep cleaning” is continually used by some to mean something additional to decontamination, according to the advice given by the health authorities. In the Western Cape, we have decontaminated in accordance with medical advice – at a fraction of the cost of some other provinces. We have not seen a spread of infections at those schools; and
  • Concerns about the intake of new Grade Rs and 1s and their ability to adapt to school, including parents’ anxiety levels. This is no reason at all to argue that schools are “not ready”! Besides, parents still have the choice to let their children learn from home if they wish, provided they accept responsibility for collecting and delivering schoolwork.

What is of extreme concern are the statements that “only 58% of schools have completed last year’s trimmed curriculum”, and that “the majority of learners are struggling with interrupted routines or learning at home”. This, for me, highlights the dire need for schools to go back as soon as possible. 

There is no question that our schools need to be able to provide a safe environment for teachers and learners, and that the safety protocols must be in place. But if not every school in the country can do that timeously, that should not be used as an excuse to keep all the others closed. 

The effects are too dire. DM

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"Information pertaining to Covid-19, vaccines, how to control the spread of the virus and potential treatments is ever-changing. Under the South African Disaster Management Act Regulation 11(5)(c) it is prohibited to publish information through any medium with the intention to deceive people on government measures to address COVID-19. We are therefore disabling the comment section on this article in order to protect both the commenting member and ourselves from potential liability. Should you have additional information that you think we should know, please email [email protected]"

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