• Basic Education Minster Angie Motshekga says while most schools are ready for the reopening of schools to grade 7 and 12 learners - her department will not allow schools to reopen if the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) is not available.
• The country’s schools were prematurely shut on Wednesday, 26 March 2020, a day before government implemented a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.
• With the country moving to alert level 3 of the nationwide lockdown, schools were directed to reopen following a decision taken by the National Coronavirus Command Council that the doors to learning reopen in a phased approach and under strict health conditions from the 1 June 2020 starting with grades 7 and 12.
• Under the regulations governing the reopening of schools, learners and staff are required to undergo screening every day before entering the school premises and must have PPE’s in the form of face masks. Sanitisers must also be delivered for the use of all on the school grounds.
• With just four days to go until 1 June, Education Minister Angie Motshekga visited Ivory Park and Seshego Secondary in Olievenhoutbosch to assess the schools’ readiness.
• On the phasing in of other grades, Motshekga said her department will look at the capacity of schools on a case by case basis.
• On the reopening of special needs schools, Motshekga said given the low learner numbers at some of these schools, some have already been given the greenlight to reopen.
• The Minister emphasised that the determination on the reopening of some special schools will also be made once the sector has monitored the impending reopening.

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Editor: Anchen Coetzee
Submitted by: Government Communication and Information System