Government giving in to unions on school closures, critics say

The government has been accused of bending to the will of teacher unions instead of putting the interests of pupils first, with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to close schools for four weeks drawing heavy criticism on Friday.

While some Eastern Cape schools have welcomed the announcement, others are deeply concerned that the break in learning will be to pupils’ detriment.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Friday called the decision “regrettable and unjustifiable”.

“The decision means that by August 24 2020 more than 10m South African children, depending on the grade they are in, will have lost more than 50% or 100 scheduled school days as a result of Covid-19 school closures,” the commission said.

In the Western Cape, criticism was blunt.  

“The same government that has allowed taxis to operate at 100% capacity where people can sit right next to each other for up to 200km, deems it necessary to close schools again, where learners and teachers sit suitably spaced with proper protocols in place,” said Western Cape education MEC Debbie Schäfer.

The province’s premier, Alan Winde, took it further, reportedly saying “it’s the unions wagging the dog here”.

But unions have  dismissed the criticism.

Naptosa executive director Basil Manuel said the closure of schools was “based on sound reasons and not because of the education unions” strong-arming the government or the perceived unwillingness of teachers to work.

“The rising infection rate in the country, the expected peak period of infections, the problems being experienced with school readiness, the inconsistent application of the standard operating procedures, the psychological impact of the pandemic on staff as well as the health and safety of staff in these circumstances were some of the compelling reasons for us calling for the temporary closure of schools.”

He said Naptosa was disappointed that all of the issues tabled by the union were either not realised or were watered down.

“We welcome the four-week closure of schools but cannot identify with the one- and two-week closure for Grade 12 and Grade 7 learners, respectively. Is government saying that these learners and their teachers are more immune to the virus during the expected peak than those in other grades?”

Many poorer parents in the Eastern Cape have asked that schools open because they do not have resources for virtual learning programmes.

Phumeza Sanqela, a school governing body (SGB) member at Noncedo Combined School in East London, said parents were in two minds about the closure.

“Some parents have welcomed the closure of schools while others are reluctant about closing schools as it will cause another disruption to the academic year,” Sanqela said.

“Parents who are in agreement with the closure say that it’s better to close schools over the winter season to prevent the rapid spread of the virus,” she said.

But the disappointment was palpable at Vuluhlanga Senior Secondary School in Butterworth.

SGB chair Mabini Mnguphane said: “The school was in the process of organising for the Grade 12 pupils to stay at school and not have to leave, to avoid transmission. Now that the closure has been announced we will have to go back to the drawing board.” 

But East London Secondary School principal Ben Chetty said the closure of schools was a “good move”. 

Chetty said the “stop-and-go conditions” in the learning programme had caused a significant disruption in the academic year.

“Matrics have it the worst. They are dealing with the pressure of having to progress to higher education,” he said.

“I must commend the Grade 12s at our school. Amid all the Covid-19 anxieties, their attendance has been good. Unfortunately, the foundation phase has seen the poorest attendance numbers,” Chetty said.

Eastern Cape education MEC Fundile Gade  was in a meeting and was unavailable for comment.  - DispatchLIVE