The North Gauteng High Court has dismissed an urgent application to close South Africa’s schools over health and safety conferences around the coronavirus.<\/p>\n
The ruling comes after the Educators\u2019 Union of South Africa (EUSA) made an application to the courts based on concerns that the government has acted recklessly in reopening the country\u2019s schools which could lead to the death of students and educators.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no way that a department that has deliberately overlooked the fact that schools do not have toilets and water after 26 years of democracy can have any good intentions for us,\u201d the union said in a statement on Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce again they are overlooking the fact that many schools in townships and rural areas will not be opening due to structural shortages which they had the obligation, change and money to fix.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe need for tenders and self-enrichment has become their only priority.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, the court found that EUSA\u2019s application contained material flaws which led to the dismissal of the case.<\/p>\n
Trade Union Solidarity welcomed the judgement noting that it was not practical to close all of the country’s schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe approach to closing all schools if an equal level of readiness is not achieved at all schools, is unsustainable and unconstitutional. Governing bodies are the appropriate bodies tasked to take decisions in the best interests of the school and its learners,\u201d said Solidarity’s Melanie Buys.<\/p>\n
\u201cClosing schools also has a huge negative impact on learners, teachers and the community. It is not only the right to education that is violated but it also has substantial practical consequences such as not being able to complete the school programme and the reality of retrenchments of those in governing body posts,\u201d Buys said.<\/p>\n