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GOVT’S 20 REASONS FOR OPENING SCHOOLS

05/08/2020 08:40:00 BY MBONGISENI NDZIMANDZE

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MBABANE – Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini has disclosed 20 reasons why government decided to open schools. The PM outlined the reasons in his confirmatory affidavit where government and the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) are embroiled in a legal battle over the opening of schools amid the scourge of COVID-19. He submitted that government’s decision to reopen completing classes who were due for external examinations was informed by the report of the National COVID-19 Task Force, which included the report of the Educational Sector.

Recommendations

“Our decision was mainly influenced by the advice and recommendations of the said tasks team and our considerations of the situation in the country. Parents also weighed in on the matter with inundated calls to government pleading for the re- opening of schools,” alleged the PM.

He further told the court that government also considered the following in opening the classes; the dissemination of information on COVID-19 prevention on a face-to-face basis; the school feeding and nutrition programme that would come handy for the children, especially those who come from poor families; and the curbing of pregnancy and substance abuse.

Disparity

According to the premier, government also considered the disparity between private schools that offered online learning against government schools that were closed, for whom capacity and technological inadequacies made remote learning impossible or difficult.

“Government also considered that the children were desirous to return to class and it is important to attempt to facilitate this, given the need to safeguard the growth, development needs and wellbeing of children,” contended Dlamini.
He further highlighted that in addition, the school environment played a crucial role in meeting the important social, physiological and physical needs of children.
The PM averred that the longer the children were away from school, the greater the impact it would have on their long-term education and life opportunities. He further mentioned that children who were at home remained a risk to other threats of their wellbeing, including child labour, domestic violence and other forms of neglect. “For many children who live in deplorable and overcrowded conditions, the risk created by their environment is greater than any risk they would face in returning to school,” he argued.

The school, according to the PM presented a safer environment for teachers, learners and support staff. He contended that parents would be able to attend work instead of looking after the children or worrying about their children’s wellbeing, who might refuse to stay put at home.
Dlamini went on to inform the court that government roped in the National Disaster Management Agency to ensure reliable supply of all personal protective equipment and sanitary essentials to the schools. He submitted that government had plans to ensure all the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) were replenished in schools.

“The schools principals and the school committees were directed to re-allocate the funds in their budgets in line with the provisions of the Disaster Management Act of 2006 on the acquiring of personal protective equipment, which is also in line with the protocols set by the Ministry of Health working with the World Health Organisation (WHO),” said the PM.

Reckless

Dlamini said: “I maintain the exception that government takes to applicant’s (SNAT) invocation of Regulation 27 of the COVID-19 regulations as being reckless and not taking into account the welfare of learners.”
He pointed out to the court that Regulation 27 specifically concerned the closure and reopening of all schools. The prime minister argued that contrastingly, government had not opened all schools, but only resolved to resume lessons for those pupils who needed to formally prepare for their external examination. “In any event, Regulation 27 is undergoing an amendment to cater for the opening of all schools. For the objectives of the 2020 academic year to be achieved, we need to allow the current Form V learners to progress to tertiary level,” said Dlamini.

According to the PM, to do so, the pupils need to sit for their examination and complete their end-of-school cycle. He argued that the disadvantages of losing one academic year could not be overemphasised as that could lead to unwanted challenges such as gaps in labour market skill- sets in subsequent years.

Dlamini alleged that SNAT had been advocating for the opening of schools fully aware of the said provisions and if one had regard to the founding affidavit of its president, this fact became clear.
“Their complaint, which I dare to be incorrect, is that the teachers have not been supplied with PPE and water. We also appeal to the court to take into its esteemed consideration our submission that COVID-19 is an entirely new phenomenon that struck without forewarning,” he argued.