All other grades opening next year- PM

Mbabane: Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, said on Thursday other classes will remain closed for the rest of the year and will open next year.

Dlamini was responding to a question posed by the Editors Forum, who enquired if other pupils will return to class this year. This Questions and Answer session was held during the Editor’s Forum breakfast meeting held at Hilton Garden Inn hotel.

PM further disclosed that government will restructure the 2021 calendar and a communique will be given to the nation soon.

Currently the only Grades that re-opened after schools were closed in mid-March are Form V, Form III and Grade VII.

Meanwhile, On October 2, Independent News reported that Swaziland National Association (SNAT) was proposing that the other grades re-open next year and apparently PM’s announcement come through as an answer.

In an interview with this publication, SNAT Secretary General (SG) Sikelela Dlamini said they welcome the announcement as it was their proposal that the other classes re-open next year.

Dlamini said, however, the announcement on its own is not enough, but instead government should do progressive and aggressive preparations for the re-opening of schools next year. Dlamini said government should not sit back and hope that the COVID-19 situation will stabilise because the pandemic seems to be here to stay.

Dlamini said government should prepare and budget so that it can provide enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for pupils and teachers. The Secretary General said it is very fortunate that government made such an announcement at the time when she is deliberating her budget hence the budget for the opening of schools should be included.

Dlamini added that government must address the issue of  classrooms shortage in schools as the COVID-19 guidelines require pupils to sit apart from each other as much as it is possible. The SG went on to say said some schools did not have enough classrooms even before the outbreak of COVID-19.     

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