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BLAC to raise awareness of COVID-19 spread in schools

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Civic organisation Bishop Lavis Action Community (BLAC) on the Cape Flats in Cape Town says it will protest at various schools in the area to create awareness about the spread of COVID-19.

The group says it is unhappy with the national and provincial government’s strategy to fight the pandemic in poor working class communities.

In a statement, BLAC says politicians are playing with the lives of their children.

The protest comes as the Western Cape Education Department says schools will reopen on Monday, despite an announcement by the national Department of Basic Education that schools will only reopen on June 8 for Grade 7 and 12 learners.

BLAC says COVID-19 has exposed inequalities in the country’s education systems and schools are not ready to handle a potential crisis any time soon.

Mixed reaction on the reopening of schools:

 

Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schafer says her department can no longer allow schools to operate in a state of uncertainty.

Schafer says, “We have been engaged in discussions at a national level over the weekend and were awaiting the Minister’s announcement. Given that this has now been postponed, we can no longer allow our schools to hover in a state of uncertainty. Western Cape schools have made a huge effort to get ready and this has been confirmed by an independent agency. Western Cape schools shall accordingly be open for learners…”

“The week will be used primarily for the orientation of learners into the COVID-19 learning environment,” added Schafer.

Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga is expected to brief the media this morning, in Sunrise Park near Rustenburg, in the North West to  give reasons why schools could not open on Monday.

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