The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) is calling for the suspension of classes.
The announcement came after a special meeting by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the biggest teachers' union which was held on Tuesday. The union proposed that education should continue via online learning.
The union said this was a way of coming with an urgent response to the spikes in Covid-19 cases at schools. Sadtu’s general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said they were concerned about the lives of their members and that of the learners.
“We as an organisation cannot continue to be sending condolence messages to our members, and we have resolved to engage with minister of basic education Angie Motshekga to suspend classes. If she does not agree to our proposal we will come up with a programme of action that will be more effective rather than us going to court. If many of the teachers die, what will happen in 2021,” said Maluleke.
Maluleke said the other developments that compelled the leadership of Sadtu to request a meeting with the minister was the airborne nature of the virus.
“This required the response in how to deal with the classroom situation. Can we open windows in the middle of a freezing winter day. The peak and the influenza period offered an opportunity to get the scientists to work on the response whilst learners were at home,” Maluleke said.
He said the NEC was therefore calling on all to avoid using education as a platform to gain cheap political points.
Sadtu calls for the immediate suspension of classes
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) is calling for the suspension of classes.
The announcement came after a special meeting by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the biggest teachers' union which was held on Tuesday. The union proposed that education should continue via online learning.
The union said this was a way of coming with an urgent response to the spikes in Covid-19 cases at schools. Sadtu’s general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said they were concerned about the lives of their members and that of the learners.
“We as an organisation cannot continue to be sending condolence messages to our members, and we have resolved to engage with minister of basic education Angie Motshekga to suspend classes. If she does not agree to our proposal we will come up with a programme of action that will be more effective rather than us going to court. If many of the teachers die, what will happen in 2021,” said Maluleke.
Maluleke said the other developments that compelled the leadership of Sadtu to request a meeting with the minister was the airborne nature of the virus.
“This required the response in how to deal with the classroom situation. Can we open windows in the middle of a freezing winter day. The peak and the influenza period offered an opportunity to get the scientists to work on the response whilst learners were at home,” Maluleke said.
He said the NEC was therefore calling on all to avoid using education as a platform to gain cheap political points.