It’s all systems go for schools across the country as the Department of Education is well underway with preparations for the upcoming year.
Pupils from inland provinces which includes Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West, and Free State, are preparing to return to school on Wednesday, 11 January, for the new school year.
Coastal school in Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape will only be opening on 18 January.
On Friday, DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said all necessary teaching and learning equipment, including school books and stationary were delivered between September and December 2022.
He said the school management teams would visit schools in the inland provinces on Monday to ensure that all is set as the leaners will be making their way back to school.
The year 2022 did not get off to a good start as two schools were robbed.
The principal of Caiphus Nyoka Secondary School in Benoni on the East Rand was assaulted in front of her colleagues, while valuable items such as laptops, car keys, and petty cash were stolen before the suspects fled off.
In a separate incident, the general assistant at Leeuwpoort Primary School in Germiston was reportedly confronted by four armed men who help him hostage, while robbing the administration block of a laptop, music sound system, grass trimmer, leaf blower, grinder, sanitisers, nutrition stock, milk packages, and R250 in petty cash.
In the same year there were protests which resulted in schools being gutted by fire, causing disruptions for matric pupils who were writing their final examinations.
In a recent incident in Alexandra on Tuesday, suspects burgled into MC Weiler Primary School and stole learning materials and food before they fled the scene.
Mhlanga said communities must take charge and make education a priority.
“The entire community need to play their part in protecting the interest of the children,” he said.
Source: News24, Polity, image from Twitter: @SAfmRadio