Children can collect daily meals from nearest school, says education department

The Department of Basic Education says children benefitting from the school nutrition programme can collect their meals from their nearest school, while schools are closed for four weeks. 

Public schools have once again had their doors shut from 27 July until 24 August as Covid-19 infections increase. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the recess last Thursday following a decision by Cabinet.

Grade 12 pupils were set to remain at home for one week and return on 3 August, while those in Grade 7 would return on 10 August.

Basic education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said:

Following the announcement by Ramaphosa, the department had said the nutrition programme would be implemented during the break to avoid being in contempt of court.

Earlier this month, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria granted an order for the department to roll out the nutrition programme to all eligible children, regardless of whether they had returned to school or not, News24 reported. 

Equal Education (EE) had lodged the urgent application, and argued that all eligible children should receive their daily meal from the programme. The programme was suspended when schools were closed at the start of the lockdown in March.

Gazetting of new directions

Mhlanga argued that there had been no delays in drafting the directives because Cabinet had only decided on the closure last Thursday.  

"Nobody knew what Cabinet would decide on so the work started thereafter. So technically speaking the old gazette stands. But a new one will come soon," Mhlanga told News24.

News24 reported on Sunday that the decision of some schools to open ahead of Ramaphosa's 24 August return date was well within the law, according to Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (Fedsas) CEO Paul Colditz. 

Colditz said the schools' decisions were within the gazetted directions. 

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"The president's speech is just a speech. It does not constitute law," Colditz told News24. 

Sunday Times reported that at least two schools were set to defy the set three week long break and were due to open in two weeks. 

The publication reported that Fairland Primary School in Johannesburg and Manor Gardens Primary in Durban were expecting to open on 11 August for grades R to 7, following new term dates gazetted in June.

Mhlanga told News24 that Motshekga's meeting with district directors would also hear whether there were any schools defying the new closure and reopen dates announced. 

"For now we have not received any report to that effect," he said.