Teacher unions are meeting with basic education minister Angie Motshekga on Saturday afternoon to discuss the state of readiness for the resumption of schooling. The meeting comes as eight of the nine provinces, the exception being Gauteng, issued statements asking school management teams (SMTs) not to report for duty on Monday.
The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA (Naptosa) has advised school management teams (SMTs) not to report for duty on Monday until education authorities comply with all health and safety measures at schools. Naptosa’s executive director Basil Manuel said in a statement that the union was “not prepared to gamble with the lives of our members”.
SMTs were advised to await confirmation from Motshekga or the department before returning to school. SMTs were scheduled to report to schools on Monday and teachers on May 18.
Manuel said that Naptosa has consistently indicated that there can be no return to school for SMTs, teachers, education support personnel or pupils “if the non-negotiables have not been complied with”. We have also said that there needs to be a public declaration by the minister and MECs that the non-negotiables are in place before any educator or education support personnel member is to set foot in a school.
Said Manuel: “If the department believes that by remaining mum on the subject the situation will resolve itself, they are sadly mistaken. Face masks have apparently not been procured, whilst screeners and testers have not been contracted. Naptosa’s executive director Basil Manuel said in a statement that the union was “not prepared to gamble with the lives of our members”.
SMTs were advised to await confirmation from Motshekga or the department before returning to school. SMTs were scheduled to report to schools on Monday and teachers on May 18. Manuel said that Naptosa has consistently indicated that there can be no return to school for SMTs, teachers, education support personnel or pupils “if the non-negotiables have not been complied with”.
“We have also said that there needs to be a public declaration by the minister and MECs that the non-negotiables are in place before any educator or education support personnel member is to set foot in a school. Said Manuel: “If the department believes that by remaining mum on the subject the situation will resolve itself, they are sadly mistaken. Face masks have apparently not been procured, whilst screeners and testers have not been contracted.
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Source: Timeslive
