Some teachers even voted in a recent National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA survey that it was too late to salvage the academic year. Picture: Pexels Some teachers even voted in a recent National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA survey that it was too late to salvage the academic year. Picture: Pexels
Cape Town – The majority of teachers in the province represented by the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) have rejected a return to school until Covid-19 is brought under complete control.
Some even voted in a recent survey that it was too late to salvage the academic year.
The union has around 10 000 members in the Western Cape, 6 572 of whom had responded to the survey by yesterday.
An inability to guarantee social distancing was the members’ biggest concern, with 76.1% of respondents indicating that social distancing was not possible at their schools.
“85% of Naptosa members polled prefer a phased-in return to school. However, 37.3% of respondents would experience a challenge having their own children supervised if they were expected to return to work and their children were not yet on the proposed phased-in return-to-school plan.
"Sixty-two percent of respondents indicated that, if the Department of Basic Education forces schools to re-open in May, they were in favour of a return to school only of those staff members who taught specific grades, while the rest remained at home in order to decrease the concentration of people on school sites,” the union said.
The survey results were released as Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and Minister of Higher Education and Training, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande’s anticipated media briefing yesterday was postponed until later in the week.
The ministers were expected to give an update on their areas of work in relation to the Covid-19 lockdown.
“The postponement is necessitated by the need to align with other interventions to be taken by the National Command Council (NCC) later this week,” the department said.
Western Cape Education Department head Brian Schreuder said professional support for various issues, including family challenges, financial advice, relationships, medical advice and work-related challenges was still available to staff.
“As principals, there is no greater need now than to lead your family, school staff and communities. We need level-headedness, calmness and strength,” Schreuder said.
Counselling is done via telephone, Skype, Zoom and mobile device video platforms (subject to the availability of these digital platforms for the counsellor and client).
You can also send them a “Please call me” at *134*664*38# or email them at wced@mhg.co.za
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