The IFP calls upon the KZN MEC for Education, Kwazi Mshengu, to present a detailed plan – with tangible solutions and deadlines – to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among learners in KZN schools.
We have learnt with dismay – via reports from the KZN Department of Education – that several schools in the province have been forced to close temporarily, due to positive Covid-19 cases, particularly among learners. This is a clear indication that learners are not safe in schools. Serious questions must be asked as to whether schools were properly sanitised? Was sufficient PPE supplied to each school? The person to answer to these questions is the KZN MEC for Education.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon the KZN MEC for Education to restore confidence and assure parents that the spread of Covid-19 in schools will be stopped – before more learners are affected, and some lose their lives. This is a ticking timebomb, and failure to act will result in disaster. Prevention is better than cure. The MEC must act now, with the urgency this matter deserves.
Further, the IFP believes that a thorough investigation must be conducted into how learners are contracting Covid-19 at school. This will assist authorities to identify the root causes of the infections.
The IFP urges parents to ensure that their children always adhere to Covid-19 prevention measures. They must closely monitor their children and must not bring them to school if they have Covid-19 symptoms. Further, learners must report if they have contracted the virus, so that they can seek medical help and limit the spread of the virus among other learners and teachers in schools.
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Contact:
Mrs Thembeni Madlopha Mthethwa, MPL
IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson for Education
071 884 3844 / 079 114 3015