The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation (NAPTOSA) says despite the rising number of coronavirus cases at schools across the country, schools must remain open with proper precautionary measures in place.

More than 700 teachers and just under 90 learners have tested positive in the Western Cape; and in Gauteng 246 learners and educators have tested positive for COVID-19.

Grades R, 3, 6, 10 and 11 and their respective teachers will go back to school on July 6.

Gauteng is working on implementing rotational and shift learning.

NAPTOSA spokesperson Basil Manuel says schools are the safest places for children to be.

“We don’t believe that we ought to just summarily close schools. We do believe that we need to be applying the procedures a little more carefully to ensure that the spread of infection is limited. The reality is, we have 12-million children in the schooling system, 1.5-million are back, another 6-million are coming and it is the best place and safest place for children to be. I know that there is a lot of panic, I know that there’s a lot of anxiety and our members are very anxious, however, we can’t close schools indefinitely, we don’t know how long the virus is going to be around so if we close how long do we close for?”

Source: SABCNews