Durban - The ANC Women’s League has contradicted its mother body, the ANC, and taken Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to task for sending more grades to school on Monday.
In a statement issued on Monday morning, the league said while it acknowledges the value of education in nation-building and in developing a skilled citizenry - it believes that the value of life is incomparable.
It also said the academic year could still be regained while lost lives could not and pleaded with the minister to reconsider her decision. This was in response to Sunday’s announcement by Motshekga and her department that some grade R learners, grade 6 and 11 would return to schools on Monday.
It said it is concerned over phasing in more grades and allowing schooling when the country is struggling to contain the spread of Covid-19.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to the number of infections and deaths in our country. We are all aware of the infrastructure challenges in many schools across the country and conditions in such schools have been hazardous and posing health risks to learners long before corona emerged in our country. Therefore, as a country we cannot gamble with the lives of children, more especially the poor learners who are subjected to study in potentially unhygienic conditions,” the league said.
The league also said Motshekga cannot use the excuse of hunger to ram through the decision to add more streams amid a deadly pandemic. This was about Motshekga’s assertion on Sunday that while the country is under lockdown, a survey has found that some learners, the poor ones especially, were facing malnutrition.
“We note the ministers’ concerns over nutrition of poor students, however an alternative to mitigate hunger in communities can be devised. What purpose would it serve to feed children only to pose a risk on their lives? Even schools which may be ready to receive learners can not guarantee total safety as some learners, staff and educators in poor schools commute in public transport. More so for grade R learners who will most probably not understand social distancing and may even exchange masks,” the league said.
Asked to respond to the league’s statement, Elijah Mhlanga, the spokesperson for the department of basic education and Motshekga, said the decision to reopen schools was approved by various formations.
“The National Coronavirus Command Council and Cabinet approved the reopening of schools. The NEC of the ruling party approved and publicly supported the reopening of schools,” Mhlanga said in response to the concerns of the league.