Government cutting corners in dealing with COVID-19 spread at schools, says Sadtu

The South African Democratic Teacher Union (Sadtu) claims that the government is cutting corners instead of dealing with the problem of COVID-19 spreading in schools.

Several schools in Gauteng, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape have been closed after a spike in infections among pupils. In KwaZulu-Natal alone, 85 cases were recorded among children and teachers with nine schools having to suspend classes.

Sadtu’s deputy general secretary, Nkosana Dolopi, said that government shouldn’t be surprised when pupils got the virus, because they’d been warned about the dangers of overcrowded classrooms, especially in rural areas.

“We urge our leaders to come forward and provide leadership, not try to cut corners in terms of quick fix solutions, look at real issues that we need to address – the safety of our teachers the safety of our learners, something that you all should take seriously,” Dolopi said.