MPUMALANGA EDUCATION WELCOMES BACK THOUSANDS OF PUPILS

BY STAFF REPORTER
It is all system goes for Mpumalanga pupils as more than 5900 management teams and non teaching staff have already returned to schools.
Today ( Monday) education MEC Bonakele Majuba Majuba will monitor the return of teachers and pupils at Kabenziwa Primary school in Siyabuswa
Majuba will also monitor the school’s preparations for the return of all primary school learners on August 2 as anticipated.
The provincial department said schools are expected to embark on curriculum recovery programme, to intensify efforts to prepare learners for the final examinations and to ensure full adherence to COVID 19 health and safety protocols.
“We welcome all our teaching, non-teaching staff and learners back to school and we wish them well in their undertaking to teach and learn.
So far, we are encouraged by the preparations towards the return of all primary school learners scheduled for August 2.
We are also pleased by the positive response displayed by our departmental staff members in embracing the vaccination programme.
As a result of the vaccination drive, we anticipate some form of stability and the enhancement of teaching and learning practice throughout the Province,” said Majuba said.
On Saturday while briefing the media on the school readiness, minister of basic education, Angie Motshekga said as a sector they held countless consultative sessions
“As a sector there was agreement across the board, that we are ready for the reopening of schools. School management teams and support staff, have already gone back to work, as from Thursday to prepare for the return of learners and teachers on Monday,” Motshekga said.
She said based on the information obtained from provinces, schools were ready to continue to work within the established covid-19 health protocol, also to start resuming full school attendance in the primary schools from August 2.
“The sector continues to be committed, and at all times we are ready to maintain a balance between saving lives and livelihoods, while fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
The Director-General is continuing to convene one-on-one meetings with the Heads of the provincial education departments, to ensure that there is continuous sharing of experiences and working together,” Motshekga said.
Motshekga said covid 19 pandemic has caused serious disruptions in the sector; and their plans had not always gone as intended.
“This has however, not deterred us from continuing to plan, as we are confident that at some point, we will find a way to return to normal business. Earlier this year, we published the school calendar for 2022. As usual, we followed the necessary steps that involve public participation to obtain input.
Now, the proposed school calendar for 2023 has been gazetted for public comment. It has been published on all the DBE platforms. A staggered calendar is proposed – one for coastal provinces, and another for inland provinces. As I said, your inputs are important; and we urge you to go through the proposed 2023 school calendar, and submit your comments in writing. The details are available on the draft calendar itself,” Motshekga said.