THE NUMBER of schools in the Province that have been closed due to Covid-19 has increased to 84.
The provincial Department of Education said on Monday that 69 teachers and 46 pupils have thus far tested positive for Covid-19 since the opening of schools on June 8, 2020.
Spokesperson for the department, Geoffrey van der Merwe, said the national Minister of Education, Angie Motshekga, was still engaging with stakeholders to discuss the way forward regarding schooling.
“The attendance rate in schools in the Northern Cape as recorded by the district offices for teachers is at 77% and for pupils it is at 70%.
“To date, 33 schools have reopened after they were disinfected and contact tracing was done.
“The minister continues to engage with stakeholders in meetings that are aimed at obtaining an input on the way forward in the context of Covid-19 as it relates to schools. An announcement on the minister’s engagement will be announced in due course. We wish to reiterate that cabinet will make the decision on whether schools should close or remain open,” said Van der Merwe.
He added that the department was working with the Provincial Department of Health.
“The collaborative efforts between the department of education and the department of health have enabled schools to swiftly deal with positive cases and contact tracing. The closure of schools is impacting on valuable learning and teaching time, but is necessary to curb the spread of Covid-19.”
