GCIS
Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, said that 11 teachers and four non-teaching staff in the Eastern Cape had succumbed to Covid19.
She revealed this in a statement on Sunday ahead of schools receiving learners from Grades R, 6, and 11 on Monday.
Motshekga said that since the return of the Grade 7 and 12 learners on 8 June, 2 740 teachers out of a total of 440 000 were infected by the virus.
“This is equivalent to less than one percent of the entire teacher population in our country. In the same period, 1 260 learners were infected by the virus. This implies that zero point zero one percent (0.01%) of our learners, were infected by the virus,” she said.
The Minister also said since 8 June, 968 of the 25 762 schools, were closed and reopened.
"This is almost four percent (4%) of the total number of public and independent schools in our country," she said.
Meanwhile, Motshekga said that provinces that were not ready to receive Grade R learners “must provide strategic and realisable plans” for ensuring their return by no later than the end of July.
The Minister said those schools that meet the health, safety, and social distancing protocols can reopen for their Grade R and pre-Grade R learners.
Motshekga said that due to the infection rate it was clear that “we need to continue to work together to contain the transmission of the virus.”
