- Gauteng teachers have gone back to work from today, ahead of schools reopening on 15 February.
- The school term was delayed by two weeks due to a surge in Covid-19 cases across the country.
- Teachers will be expected to accommodate learners with comorbidities, who are learning from home.
Gauteng teachers returned to schools on Monday morning in preparation for the start of the first term of the 2021 academic year.
Pupils will be back at their desks from 15 February, after the reopening of schools was postponed by the Department of Basic Education.
The reopening of schools was delayed for two weeks due to the steep increase of Covid-19 infections. Schools were initially expected to open on 25 January for teachers, and 27 January for pupils.
On Friday, 22 January, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga directed that principals, school management teams (SMTs) – including educational assistants, general assistants and non-teaching staff – must return to school on Monday, 25 January.
Gauteng Education Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said on Monday:
"They have been busy with planning, making sure the educators will be furnished with necessary plans on how they will be teaching and [how they will be accommodating] those learners who have comorbidities and will be learning from home."
Daily deliveries of masks, sanitisers
He added that activity packs for pupils who will be learning at home have already been prepared.
In addition, the department is making daily deliveries of masks, face shields and sanitisers to schools in the province, to "make sure that by the time we welcome learners, all will be ready, and learners will be just going into the classes and continuing [with learning]", said Mabona.
Over 1.5 million learners in the province will have received food parcels by 12 February, as part of the department’s nutrition programme, added Mabona, and normal feeding will resume when schools open.
To "address space challenges", 211 mobile classrooms have been erected at schools. This will be bolstered by the opening of three new schools.