SAHRC urges Education Department to rethink reopening of schools

The Commission says it has conducted independent monitoring of schools for readiness in all 9 provinces and consulted with various stakeholders, including teachers’ unions and school governing bodies.

The commission's Gushwell Brooks says the reopening of schools should be done in tandem with reasonable and adequate measures and efforts to safeguard the right to health of pupils and teachers. 

"It is thus important that necessary minimum conditions that need to be met for the re-opening of schools, such as access to adequate clean water and sanitation, social distancing, the availability of personal protective equipment, training and the general sanitization of schools, are met," says Brooks. 

Brooks says the feedback from provincial offices shows that many schools have not achieved the required readiness to receive learners.

 "Most observations from our provincial offices highlight the shortage or inadequacy of water and sanitation as well as personal protective equipment. Some even reported that the necessary training was still outstanding."

He added: "Other observations made during monitoring in provinces are that the levels of readiness for many rural schools are significantly low. The monitoring continues," says Brooks

The schools governing bodies informed the Commission on Thursday of about 3,500 schools that still have no adequate water.

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