Okuhle Hlati
THE Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has come under fire over its decision not to supply schools with personal protective equipment (PPE). Instead schools have been instructed to use the norms and standards budget to purchase what was required.
WCED head Brian Schreuder has maintained that all schools in the province received an excess supply in 2020.
“I have written to all schools about this academic year which initially was supposed to start this month but has been extended to February 15. Plans are in place about measures that need to be taken. Last year the department provided excess PPE or health and safety materials which include sanitisers and masks for all schools.
“Some schools said we supplied too much and didn't want them but we encouraged stockpiling as the virus is not gone. All schools have quantities that are sufficient to carry them for the next couple of months. As schools were busy with their budgets we informed them we will not be reissuing PPE, they must utilise their norms and standards budget to procure supplies if its required,” said Schreuder.
No school raised a concern or complained, he said, adding they would continue to monitor the situation.
Schreuder made the remarks when responding to questions before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts at the provincial legislature.
The committee was being briefed by the auditor-general (AG) and the audit committee on the outcomes of the 2019/20 annual reports.
ANC shadow Education MEC Khalid Sayed, however, said he was appalled that the education department made the decision despite findings by the AG special reports on the financial management of government’s Covid-19 initiatives, noting that several schools in the province received poor and inadequate supplies of PPE in 2020.
“Moreover, this reckless decision by the WCED does not take into consideration the fact that poor schools may not have a budget from norms and standards to procure sufficient PPE. The shambolic handing of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to the new year. Despite a clear risk of schools becoming super spreaders as the new variant is vicious towards children and youth, the WCED chooses money over the lives of teachers and learners.”
National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA executive director Basil Manuel said directions published by Department of Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga states it was the responsibility of provincial departments to provide PPE.
“They can't expect the people to use the norms and standards allocation. It doesn't make sense. We will have to monitor this a little more closely. We've done a national survey together with other teacher unions and it paints a dismal picture of readiness. It doesn't give us any assurance that schools are ready and have the necessary PPE or pharmaceutical intervention measures that are supposed to be there.”
Manuel said it seems like some schools won’t have masks which spells a crisis.
“We want to see that the DBE and the provincial education departments take their role as the alleged carers. Poor schools cannot afford to use their norms and standards allocations because they don't have any other money to pay for services that the schools have to use.”
WCED’s spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said many schools had indicated they have more than the required PPE and it was planned to last well into 2021.
She said however district officials were now monitoring and reviewing as to whether all schools had sufficient quantities for the reopening of schools.
MEC Debbie Schafer said: “According to the medical evidence that is available, schools are not super-spreaders. Unlike in ANC-run provinces, we are not satisfied to just hand out money without adequate controls to ensure that what we spend is absolutely necessary. We will take all measures to ensure the safety of our staff and learners, as we have to date.”