LEARNERS SHOULD RATHER REPEAT A GRADE THAN LOSE THEIR LIVES, SAYS STUDENT LEADER

Kaalfontein Secondary School is the latest school to report a confirmed COVID-19 case since schools reopened at the beginning of June.

The school reported a second confirmed Coronavirus case in less than a month yesterday. The first case was recorded on the 13th of June and learners were told to return to school on the 22nd of June 2020.

The school is currently closed after a second case was reported. Learning will resume on Monday, 13 July 2020 while the school is closed for decontamination.

KAE News interviewed the Chairperson of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) at the school, Frans Matsemela.

“As COSAS we feel like the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is using learners and teachers as lab rats. DBE should just accept that it’s already too late to save the academic year especially with the number of COVID-19 cases rising rapidly. The DBE is like an irresponsible parent that doesn’t care about its children.”

“If the DBE does not want to close down all the schools. It should send health care workers to come and test learners and teachers on a regular basis instead of screening, because it is easy to fill in the wrong information on the screening records. It is also to say that the office of the Minister and the union of teachers to get a wake up call that with the million graves being dug, we need to take safety precautions that schools in Gauteng should be shut down. Learners should rather repeat a grade than lose their lives” said the 19 year old Matsemela.

The Matriculant told KAE News that they are not more than 20 in a classroom. The safety measures that the Kaalfontein Secondary School takes include encouraging social distancing, daily screening and sanitizing of learners and disinfecting the furniture after the first period and break.

Almost all the schools in KAE and surrounding areas have recorded confirmed cases of COVID-19 and had to close for a while since the resumption of schools.

Kaalfontein Secondary School management was not available for comment as the school is currently closed.