Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has gazetted amended regulations on the dates when children in grades still learning from home will return to school, and join Grades R, 6, 7, 11 and 12.

On Tuesday, Motshekga amended the regulations which form part of the Disaster Management Act.

Pupils in grades R, 6, 7, 11 and 12 have already returned to their classrooms.

Schools were closed when the country was placed on Level 5 lockdown in March.

Grade 7 and 12 pupils were the first to return, followed by children in grades R, 6 and 11 on Monday.

The amendments follow a decision by the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) which decided last Thursday that only grades R, 6 and 11 would be returning as of Monday, leaving pupils in grades 1, 2, 3, and 10 to continue their schooling from home.

According to the amended regulations grades 3 and 10 are expected back on 20 July, while pupils in grades 1 and 2 will return to school a week later on 27 July.

Grade 4 and 9 children will go back on 17 August.

The final cohort of pupils to return to schools will be those in grades 5 and 8 on 31 August.

The staggered return is to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 among pupils, teachers and staff at schools.

Not all provinces were able to receive pupils on Monday – especially the little ones in Grade R.

In her briefing on Sunday, Motshekga said provinces who were not ready to accept Grade Rs had until the end of July to accommodate them.

News24 reported on Monday that due to a peak in infections in the Eastern Cape, the provincial department decided to entirely postpone the return of Grade R,6 and 11s.

Source: News24