The Congress of South African Students (COSAS) in Vryburg’s Subdistrict took matter into there own hands and shutdown schools in Huhudi and other schools in the surrounding area down. On Friday, 17 July 2020, teachers and learners in Huhudi found their gates locked with unknown lock-pads. Thereafter a delegation of protesting learners made their way to Vryburg’s town in an attempt to disrupt schools to also shutdown. According to a statement sent by COSAS’s National Task Team on Tuesday, 14 July 2020, learners’ cries regarding their concerns of the impact the novel coronavirus has in schools were not being taken seriously. “For the past few weeks we have been indoctrinated on how widely DEADLY CORONA VIRUS is infecting scholars through the breadth of South Africa, but our cries have fall on deaf ears.” The statement said.

The Vryburg Independent Post (The VIP) Team’s fact finding mission related to school closures in Vryburg led us to the Principal at Pule Leeuw Comprehensive School, Mr Motase, as well as to the North West Provincial Department of Education. Principal Motase indicated to The VIP Team that on his arrival at the school he found the gates locked with an unknown padlock on top of the usual school padlock. “we are suspecting COSAS” Motase said.

The Principal informed us that the matter has been reported to the police to investigate. Teachers and learners were sent home to allow investigations to continue and for the safety of those affected. The Department of Education in the North West Province reiterated the Principal’s words. According to the department’s Spokesperson Elias Malindi, the issue of the shutting down of schools in Vryburg has been reported to the relevant policing authorities.

Be that as it may, a member of COSAS’s Regional Executive Committee and Treasurer, Resego Setlhare, was interviewed by The VIP Team. Learners have had less than six months of learning since the beginning of 2020, surely this means that there is some form of pressure for learners and teachers to attempt to complete the academic year, with this notion, The VIP Team asked COSAS to indulge us. According to Setlhare, the shutdown will not necessarily put more pressure on teaching and learning. ”Our lives are at risk we can recover from a lost academic year but we can not recover from death.” COSAS has, therefore, called on the Department of Basic Education to “Come up with another plan to save the academic year”.

The demands stated by COSAS’s National Task Team in their statement, includes;

-COSAS Calls on SADTU to put a radical approach on their call by asking all their members (Teachers) to boycott school and be prepared to later protect them against Department of Basic Education,

-all Grade 7s and Grade 12s to be tested and be sent to Educational Campsites within the ranks of their provinces to complete their academic year, and

-All other grades should not go back to school in the year of 2020 (Pass one Pass All)

The VIP team was intrigued by the organization’s concept of “Pass one Pass All”, and enquire about this with Setlhare, who turned his back to this idea and stated that they never said that there must be pass one pass all, but rather encouraged the Department to come up with another plan to see to the completion of the academic year.

Advertisement:

Setlhare confirmed that they (COSAS) managed to shutdown 9 Schools today in Vryburg. They say they intend to keep these schools closed until their demands are given the light of day. “We are still going to close schools on monday no learners must report back to the school up until The Department of Basic Education has come up with a plan” Stressed Setlhare. “We can not bear losing our brothers and sisters to COVID-19 because of Angie Motshekga” Said Setlhare. COSAS has also called on members of the community to support their course.

The VIP Team turned to some members of the community and parents, to find out what their take is. According to one parent, she is in support the school closure. “I think it’s a good move because most countries have closed schools until next year and I believe they had a very good reasons for making that decision.“ said one parent. Meanwhile, another parent is of a completely different opinion. Indicating that school closures are not a good idea. The leg that she stood on was that keeps are safer at school than at home. “At school these kids are being sanitized the whole day, they are encouraged to keep social distancing and to wear their face masks, unlike when their home and without any supervision.” The other parent said.

-The VIP Team

-COSAS National Task Team

-NW Education