DoBE Confirms Reopening Of Schools Postponed By Two Weeks

The Department of Basic Education has confirmed that schools will not reopen on 27 January but will instead open on Monday 15th February.

Deputy Basic Education Minister Reginah Mhaule said that the Council of Education Ministers together with Cabinet had taken a decision to postpone the reopening of schools for both private and public schools.

This includes private schools that have reopened already. The Department confirmed they will need to postpone their reopening to a later date.

The new dates for the reopening of private schools will vary depending on the calendar that they follow. For public schools and private schools which follow the same calendar, changes are  as follows:

• School Management Teams (SMTs) shall report for duty on Monday, 25 January 2021;

• Teachers shall follow on Monday, 01 February 2021; and

• Lastly, learners return on Monday, 15 February 2021.

The Department said that they took this decision having considered all factors as backed up by research and statistics, regarding the current state of the health system.

The Department said that their priority remains saving lives.