Johannesburg - The Public Servants Association, which represents thousands of teachers and administrative staff in schools across South Africa, on Tuesday reiterated its call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to order that learning institutions close in light of surging new Covid-19 infections.
South Africa closed all schools in mid March in response to the pandemic, with most learners resorting to virtual classes, but has since reopened them on a phased basis since June. It said it had written a letter to Ramaphosa highlighting that several teachers had already succumbed to the virus, while others, including principals and support staff, were infected and experiencing severe symptoms in some cases.
"There is no rationale for limiting the number of people who attend church services and funerals, but schools with more than 1,000 learners will be open. Many schools now have deceased educators and learners who are traumatised."