Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said that postponing the academic year over COVID-19 would have catastrophic consequences.
The minister said that postponing the academic year to 2021 would make it difficult to phase in a million grade R learners once the new school year starts.
Motshekga: “For me, it’s catastrophic to have poor kids sitting at home since March, with no access to reading materia. For me, it’s a disaster.”
Motshekga said the academic programme for this year has to be concluded, especially for matric pupils, despite the fears for COVID-19.
Parents can home-school their children if they are not comfortable sending them to school or if they have contracted the virus.
The revised 2020 school calendar was published last week.
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