Calls are mounting for the return to traditional school attendance, with advocacy group Equal Education backing concerns that some disadvantaged pupils would continue to be hindered from accessing the crucial National School Nutrition Programme.
CALLS are mounting for the return to traditional school attendance, with advocacy group Equal Education backing concerns that some disadvantaged pupils would continue to be hindered from accessing the crucial National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP).
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said last week that rotational learning would continue in schools across the country due to the one-metre social-distancing requirement.
However, several education role-players including have proposed that this be scrapped, citing that the on-off attendance at schools affected the quality of education as well as pupils accessing the feeding programme.
It was pointed out that while food was available at schools, the rotation hindered pupils’ collection efforts.
“Despite our best efforts to make meals accessible for learners, including food parcels at some rural schools, and accommodating learners from other schools, the reality is that children at home often do not come and collect them, for whatever reason,” said Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond
“This differs from day to day. A child might come on a Monday, but not a Tuesday. In other cases a Grade 1 child might not be allowed to collect their meal, as they are unsupervised at home. It really does have consequences, despite making meals available throughout this period.”
Equal Education researcher Stacey Jacobs said the Ministerial Advisory Committee should revise recommendations because a large contingent of teachers, school staff, and education employees have been vaccinated.
“Equal Education strongly urges the government to abandon rotational timetables, and to safely reopen schools for all learners. A return to traditional school attendance will help mitigate against learner disengagement and drop-out, and ensure access to key programmes such as NSNP, and professional psychosocial support services,” said Jacobs.
Equal Education and the school governing bodies of two Limpopo schools secured a court victory in July 2020, requiring the DBE and provincial education departments, excluding the Western Cape, to roll out the NSNP under the Covid-19 lockdown.
Jacobs said, however, that access was still hampered due to insufficient communication to inform school communities that the NSNP was available for all qualifying pupils.
