A group of Congress of South African Students (Cosas) members have forcefully removed learners at various schools in Bloemfontein. The movement has called for the closure of schools until their demands are met.
They demand that COVID-19 tests be made compulsory, before learners are allowed back in the classrooms. The protests have reportedly spread to Botshabelo and Welkom. The situation remains tense, as scores of learners are leaving the schools.
Earlier the Free State Education Department said it is against calls by Cosas to boycott classes until their concerns have been addressed. However, Cosasa stand by their demands about COVID-19 testing, after a Grade 12 learner at Grey College tested positive for COVID-19, and 15 matriculants at the Heatherdale Secondary School in Bloemfontein were sent to Pelonomi Hospital after showing flu-like symptoms.
Free State Education spokesperson, Howard Ndaba, says all schools are adhering to standard procedures to screen learners.
“The decision to shut down schools will be unconstitutional and illegal and therefore we frown upon any attempt to derail schooling but we really appreciate their request for a meeting with the department of education and as such we will be having a meeting with them on Thursday and hope that their concerns will be ventilated in that meeting and the reality is you don’t test before you screen and you don’t test everyone and our health officials are telling us that the prerequisites for testing is that you start by screening.”
In the video below, Educators’ Union Spokesperson of South Africa Kabelo Mahlobogwane says schools should not open until it is safe to do so:
Some schools in rural Mpumalanga remain closed due to a lack of proper sanitation:
