It's back to school for toddlers

NATIONAL NEWS - The civil rights movement, Solidariteit, is elated that private nursery schools and crèches can open with immediate effect.

Solidariteit on Monday won its case against the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, in Pretoria with costs.

Judge Hans Fabricius ruled in favour of Solidariteit in the Pretoria High Court saying crèches that comply with all Covid-19 health and safety regulations may open.

The ruling includes day care centres and after school care facilities.

While many parents who had to return to work under lockdown Level 3 will be heaving a sigh of relief, the ruling has come too late for many crèches that could not survive more than three months without an income.

The current disaster management regulations stipulate that, under Level 3, only early childhood institutions that offer Grade R, and thus qualify as schools, may reopen.

Fabricius' judgement renders this Level 3 regulation null and void.

Return dates for all grades gazetted

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga on Tuesday 7 July gazetted amended regulations on the dates when learners in other grades will return to school. Currently only Grades R, 6, 7, 11 and 12 started school.

Dates are as follows:

20 July

Grades 3 and 10
Schools of Skill: Year 3
Schools for Learners with Severe Intellectual Disabilities (SID): Grade R, Grade 3 and final year (Occupational)
Schools with Learners with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disabilities (LSPID): Year 3
Schools with autistic learners: final year (18 years and above)

27 July

Grades 1 and 2
Schools of Skill: Year 2
Schools for Learners with Severe Intellectual Disabilities (SID): Grades 1 and 2
Schools with Learners with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disabilities (LSPID): Years 1 and 2
Schools with autistic learners: Junior group (below 13 years)

17 August