Naptosa questions need for school management teams to return on 25 January

With the reopening of schools postponed to 15 February 2021, teachers union Naptosa doesn't see the need for SMTs to come back so soon.

School management teams (SMTs) are expected to report for duty on Monday 25 January 2021, three weeks before learners return to classrooms.

This comes after an announcement made by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) on Friday afternoon.

The DBE delayed the reopening of schools due to the increasing Covid-19 second wave infections.

RELATED: DBE postpones the reopening of schools to 15 February

It announced that teachers would return a week after SMTs on Mondy 1 February and learners would come back two weeks later on Monday 15 February.

Initially, teachers and SMTs were expected to return to classrooms on Monday 25 January in preparation for Wednesday 27 January when learners were meant to start the academic year.

But the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) says the new dates for teachers and SMTs don't make sense.

Naptosa's executive director Basil Manuel says the long gap between the return of learners and the return of SMTs and teaching staff is unjustified.

He says schools should have already prepared for the start of the new academic year at this stage.

What we are unhappy with is this inordinate long period when where the teachers will be at school without the learners.

Basil Manuel, Executive Director - Naptosa

If it's about health and safety, it's about teachers and the learners.

Basil Manuel, Executive Director - Naptosa

For three weeks, for a management team to be at school and to claim that they are going to be preparing things that they were supposed to prepare last year, does seem like we are actually setting people up to sit around, to start clustering, and that is unproductive. We are questioning the wisdom of that. It was certainly not discussed with us.

Basil Manuel, Executive Director - Naptosa

We are asking, what is the rationale for this? We have never had such a long period before learners come back... If a school hasn't prepared yet, there is something seriously wrong with the management of the school.

Basil Manuel, Executive Director - Naptosa

Listen to the discussion on Afternoon Drive with John Maytham:

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