Education Department urges KZN principals to accept all students

The Department of Basic Education released a public announcement aimed at principals of schools across KZN. The damages caused to learning facilities in the flood-ravaged province have left many students with no place to continue their studies.

Over 100 schools in KZN are damaged

During the week, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga revealed that more than 100 schools faced extensive damage. She explained that the damaged facilities were inaccessible to students.

Other concerns faced are that students are without learning materials and uniforms. Many students lost their homes due to the torrential rains and flooding that plagued KwaZulu-Natal recently.

What did the public announcement say?

The public announcement aimed at principals was a basic outline of what is expected of them. The Municipality does not want learners to miss out on their education and has set rules in place for schools in KZN. Some of which are:

• You are required to receive all learners to your school whether they have uniforms or not.
• You are required to receive and assist all learners whether they are enrolled at your school or not.
• You are requested to inform the district office as soon as possible when this occurs.

The Basic Education department does not want learners to miss out on schooling. While it may be a bit difficult to catch up on work at a different school, the aim is for learning to not be hindered by this horrific time.

Learners affected by KZN floods to be sent to neighbouring schools

While the extent of damages at their schools is assessed, students from severely impacted institutions can attend classes at neighbouring facilities. During her media briefing about the Basic Education Department’s response to the KZN floods Minister Angie Motshekga said over 100 schools are extensively damaged.

The Minister revealed that the aforementioned schools are inaccessible to learners. Motshekga visited a number of schools in Durban following the floods that caused damage and loss of life. The Minister shared that the has explored options for schools that have been severely impacted. 

While remote learning could only be implemented for primary schools, the department was prompted to quickly start reopening schools. The Department has until Friday, 22 March, to confirm how many learners have been placed and which schools have reopened. Read the full story here.