Durban - Teachers at a Durban primary school have claimed that the Department of Education is unaware of what is happening at provincial schools regarding safety measures dealing with Covid-19.
In response, provincial Education spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa said: “Accusations and counter-accusations will not take us anywhere. We urge all schools to continue to adhere to health and safety protocols as outlined by the Department of Health.”
At least three teachers at the primary school claimed the school’s principal has put pupils and teachers’ lives at risk by not calling the health department to test all staff after one of the teachers tested positive.
On Wednesday, two teachers were apparently sent home after falling ill and were instructed to get tested for the virus.
“They were sick. We shared the same staff room, made and drank tea together and it came as a shock when the principal told us on Friday that one of them had tested positive. What shocked us most was that the principal said the Education Department told her there was no need for the school to close for deep cleaning and for all staff to be tested. We are still trying to understand the logic behind the decision,” said the teachers.
“What do you do when your boss does nothing in a situation like this? One colleague who also fell ill was taken to the Lancet laboratory by a relative to be tested. She is still awaiting her results. What about the rest, including the pupils who have been exposed? Even children are sanitised with Jik. This is scary and the Education Department needs to intervene.”
School governing body member Elizabeth Nhlumayo said they were unaware that the teacher who tested positive was at school.
“The way the principal put it to us, it sounded like the teacher in question was not at the school before testing positive. I will take this up with the entire SGB and I will also check the sanitiser. If what the teachers are saying is true then all of them should be tested and the school should be closed for deep cleaning,” Nhlumayo said.
The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union provincial secretary Nomarashiya Caluza said only when a Covid-19 positive teacher or pupil has not been to school, will it not be closed for deep cleaning.
“We have been observing with great concern the department’s failure to ensure timeous interventions in schools infected and affected by Covid-19. Since schools re-opened in June, we have seen our teachers becoming statistics.
"Currently, the province has more than 400 teachers who have tested positive and others have died from this virus.”
Mthethwa said the department would investigate these allegations.
The principal declined to comment.