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Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002)

Notices

Directions regarding the re-opening of schools and measures to address, prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19 in the National Department of Basic Education and Provincial Departments of Education and in all schools in the Republic of South Africa

5A. School break and arrangements after break

 

(1) All public schools will break from 27 July 2020 and the school arrangements after the break are as follows:

 

Week

Date

School arrangements after break

Week 1

27 – 31 July 2020

The principal and the School Management Team will determine the staffing requirements to ensure compliance with the health, safety and social distancing requirements and to assist with the distribution of learning material and the roll out of the daily school feeding programme for all qualifying learners.
The principal and the School Management Team must be on duty to make arrangements for the receipt of the learners anticipated in the weeks ahead.
Schools will remain open for feeding of qualifying learners in terms of the National School Nutrition Programme.

Week 2

3 – 7 August 2020

Grade 12 and Schools of Skill: Year 4 learners will return to school on 3 August 2020.
Grade 12 and Schools of Skill: Year 4 teachers (and teacher support staff) will return to school on 3 August 2020.
The principal and the School Management Team (as required) will be in attendance at school.
Officials (as identified by the principal and the School Management Team) will return to school on 3 August 2020, to assist in ensuring compliance with the health, safety and social distancing requirements and to assist in the distribution of learning material and the roll-out of the daily school feeding programme for all qualifying learners.

Week 3

11–14 August 2020

Grade 7 learners will return to school on 11 August 2020.
Grade 7 officials (and teacher support staff) will return to school on 11 August 2020.
The principal and the School Management Team (as required) will be in attendance at school.
Officials, who are at school, will assist in ensuring compliance with the health, safety and social distancing requirements and to assist in the distribution of learning material and the roll-out of the daily school feeding programme for all qualifying learners.

Week 4

17– 21 August 2020

All officials will report for duty on 17 August 2020 to prepare for the return of learners in the remaining grades.
Grade 7; Grade 12; and Schools of Skill: Year 4 learners and officials will already be at school.
Officials who are already at school will assist in ensuring compliance with the health, safety and social distancing requirements and to assist in the distribution of learning material and the roll-out of the daily school feeding programme for all qualifying learners.

Week 5

24 August 2020

(a) Learners in the following grades, years or schools will return to school on 24 August 2020:
Grade R; Grade 1; Grade 2; Grade 3; Grade 4; and Grade 6;
Grade 9; Grade 10; and Grade 11;
Schools of Skill: Year 1; Year 2; and Year 3;
Schools with Learners with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disabilities (“LSPID”): Year 1; Year 2; and Year 3;
Schools for Learners with Severe Intellectual Disabilities (“SID”): Grade R; Grade 1; Grade 2; Grade 3; and final year (Occupational); and
Schools with autistic learners: Junior group (below 13 years); Senior Group (13 years and above); and final year (18 years and above).
(b) The school must ensure compliance with the health, safety and social distancing requirements in accommodating this group of learners.

Week 6

31 August 2020

Learners in the following grades or schools will return to school on 31 August 2020:

Grade 5 and Grade 8; and
Schools for Learners with Severe Intellectual Disabilities (“SID”): Grade 4 and Grade 5.

 

(2) Despite sub-direction (1) in relation to the arrangements after the school break, the phased return of learners and officials to school will be in accordance with direction 5(1)(a).

 

(3) Upon the return of learners and officials to school after the school break, the school must comply with the social distancing and timetable models, as contemplated in direction 15 of the Directions.

 

(4) Despite the arrangements set out in sub-direction (1), all public schools that have been permitted, in terms of direction 7, on or before 27 July 2020, to deviate from the phased return to school, may continue with the deviation, without providing further notification to the Head of Department.

 

(5) All public schools that have not applied, before 27 July 2020, for deviation from the phased return to school, must apply in terms of direction 7 for deviation.

 

(6) Although the schools are on break, all officials are considered to be on duty and may be required to assist with official duties as and when required or determined by the principal and the School Management Team.

 

(7) All officials must report to school on 17 August 2020.

 

(8) The principal and the School Management Team must determine and implement a rotational leave plan to ensure that the principal and each member of the School Management Team, respectively, are allowed at least a five day break during the first three weeks of the break.

 

(9) The School Management Team must use the first week of the break, which is from 27 to 31 July 2020, to make all the necessary arrangements for the return of the respective grades, as contemplated in sub-direction (1).

 

(10) All officials responsible for the education of the respective grades that are returning to school, must return to school as contemplated in sub-direction (1) or as otherwise determined by the School Management Team.

 

(11) The Head of Department must ensure that the national school nutrition programme is made accessible to every qualifying learner.

 

(12) The Head of Department, or a person duly authorised by him or her, must make reasonable arrangements with schools to ensure that the provision of learning material, therapeutic support and continued teaching to learners occur during the school break.

 

[Direction 5A inserted by section 4 of Notice No. 411, GG43578, dated 2 August 2020]