“The response confirms the correctness of our decision,” she told the National Council of Provinces on Thursday.

“The 98% of parents would not have sent their children if they didn’t trust the rationality of [reopening] schools,” Motshekga told the virtual plenary meeting, which also included the provincial MECs for education.She said it was understandable 2% of parents had their doubts and the department was looking for ways to allay their fears.Schools reopened for Grade 7 and 12 pupils on 8 June, delayed a week from the original date of 1 June, and Motshekga said there was no turning back now as they must find a way to live alongside the virus.

“I don’t expect us to go back to normality in the next two years,” she said, adding they could not close schools for three years.

Motshekga said while she shared the concerns about the high number of infections in the Western Cape, she was also concerned about Gauteng and the Eastern Cape.
According to her, teachers and students, who have tested positive for the virus, became infected in communities, rather than schools. This view was shared by some of the MECs.

Motshekga said when there was a positive case at a school, the Department of Health was quick to swoop in.

Schools can be closed for the Department of Health to manage the case, including decontamination, contact tracing and testing, among others. All suspected and identified cases will immediately be attended to through its existing Covid-19 guidelines.

Motshekga warned against “unnecessary panic”

She assured MPs the education department was ready for other grades to return to school.

Vandalism

Motshekga said more than 2 000 schools were vandalised during lockdown, and thanked residents for protecting schools.

She added in some cases, parents slept at schools to protect them from vandals, therefore she did not want to say it was residents who vandalised schools.

“It’s just a group of bandits who has been vandalising schools.”

READ | 962 schools robbed, vandalised torched since start of lockdown

Motshekga said there were even cases where vandals were killed by residents, and urged people not to take the law into their own hands.

Infected in communities