20 Jan 2021

As public schools adjust to business at full capacity, inspection teams have been dispatched to conduct week-long tours to check compliance to COVID-19 protocols countrywide.

In an interview, Ministry of Basic Education chief public relations officer, Mr Oarabile Phefo said the teams comprise education, public health and local government officials as well as teacher union representatives.

He said the teams were scheduled to visit all the 756 primary schools, 207 junior secondary schools, two unified secondary schools and 32 senior secondary schools.

He expressed the hope that by the end of the week, at least 80 per cent would have been inspected.

Prior to the teams’ visit, he said regional education officials would have carried out  inspections to ensure schools’ readiness to absorb all learners with respect to compliance to COVID-19 protocols.

He said the teams, among other things, wanted to ensure that the environment was conducive for social distancing as well as to cater for emerging COVID-19 challenges.

Mr Phefo said learners’ numbers per classroom had reduced drastically and that about 3 000 more teachers had been hired to cater for additional classes.

Government schools opened in a phased manner from January 12 to January 19 to ensure compliance to COVID-19 health protocols.BOPA