Education
With regard to the current winter season:
How is his Department ensuring that public schools remain safe and conducive to learning despite risks posed by the cold and wet weather?
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) relies on ongoing guidance and advisories from the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) and the South African Weather Service (SAWS) in managing the impact of adverse weather conditions on schools.
The WCED participates in the Joint Operations Centre to ensure effective planning and response measures.
Our default position is to keep schools open, not only because teaching and learning is important, but also because of the impact that closures have on school nutrition and safety. For many learners, a school meal is their only guaranteed meal of the day, and schools are a place of safety for many learners.
However, where severe weather conditions are anticipated or where warnings have been issued, the PDMC and SAWS may recommend the temporary closure of schools in affected areas.
This is based on a number of factors, including (but not limited to) the severity of the warnings in place, the specific weather context of the area, infrastructure, the available disaster management and emergency services resources on the ground, the reliance on learner transport, and a variety of other factors.
Based on this guidance, the Head of Department will make a decision as to whether schools in a specific area need to be closed. The decision is communicated via a formal letter to principals, before being announced to the public.
Ideally, the aim is to make this decision early to give schools time to prepare. However, this is not always possible. Schools have demonstrated their ability to rapidly communicate with parents and implemented closures, even when informed late in the day.
There is unfortunately no guarantee that a cold front will behave exactly as expected, which is why we have clear protocols in place in case individual schools need to close. A school can apply for permission to close in cases where learner safety is at risk, whether this be due to a storm or another safety risk.
We saw this protocol work effectively over the past few weeks. The districts actively engage in monitoring the situation on the ground in their specific area, tracking which schools are closed or need assistance.
Principals are also asked to report any infrastructure damage via CEMIS, so that assessments can be done as soon as possible.
I’d like to thank all the officials, school staff and parents who implemented various school closures over the past few weeks.
And a special thank you to the disaster management and emergency services personnel who have supported our schools in tough circumstances.
