(1)
| (a) | All schools will close for learners (Grades R to 12) on 30 June 2021. |
| (b) | Despite paragraph (a), all educators and non-teaching staff will continue with their administrative duties until 2 July 2021. |
| (c) | Despite direction 16(2), schools will reopen on 26 July 2021 for all learners (Grades R to 12) to return to school on the daily or weekly rotational timetable model, but primary school learners (Grades R to 7) and learners with special education needs (Grades R to 12) return to school in accordance with the timetabling models contemplated in direction 5A(1A) and (1B). |
[Direction 5(1)(c) substituted by section 2(a) of Notice No. 422, GG44858, dated 15 July 2021]
| (cA) | The principal, school management team and non-teaching staff will return to school on 22 July 2021, to prepare for the return of learners to school on 26 July 2021. |
[Direction 5(1)(cA) inserted by section 2(b) of Notice No. 422, GG44858, dated 15 July 2021]
| (d) | Schools that have been identified as vaccination sites remain open for the purpose of administering the vaccines and officials are required to present themselves for this purpose as planned. |
| (e) | The National School Nutrition Programme will resume when schools reopen: Provided that schools must make the necessary arrangements to continue to provide feeding until 09 July 2021, including the option to provide food parcels to learners who are beneficiaries of the National School Nutrition Programme. |
| (f) | In respect of the 2021 May/June National Senior Certificate/Senior Certificate examination— |
| (i) | the writing of the examination will continue in accordance with the approved examination timetable and will conclude on 7 July 2021; |
| (ii) | the marking of the examination scripts will also continue after the writing of the examinations has concluded; and |
| (iii) | both the writing of the examination and the marking of the examination scripts will be managed under strict compliance with the minimum health, safety and social distancing measures on COVID-19. |
[Direction 5(1) substituted by section 2(a) of Notice No. 393, GG44779, dated 29 June 2021]
| (2) | Independent schools must close for contact classes until 26 July 2021. |
[Direction 5(2) substituted by section 2(c) of Notice No. 422, GG44858, dated 15 July 2021]
| (2A) | The usual winter vacation learner support or catch-up programs for Grades 11 and 12, as organised and implemented by the Provincial Departments of Education, districts and schools, will continue under strict compliance with the minimum health, safety and social distancing measures on COVID-19, and are extended by a week until 23 July 2021. |
[Direction 5(2A) substituted by section 2(d) of Notice No. 422, GG44858, dated 15 July 2021]
| (3) | Independent schools may not open earlier than the two weeks’ period as contemplated in sub-direction (2). |
| (4) | Officials may access school premises during the period of closure if required to do so, for purposes of preparation in anticipation of the reopening of schools. |
| (5) | The general measures and conditions in the Regulations and Directions, in relation to health, safety and social distancing measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, must be adhered to during every applicable Alert Level for the duration of the national state of disaster. |
[Direction 5(5) substituted by section 2(d) of Notice No. 393, GG44779, dated 29 June 2021]
| (6) | Only those schools and offices that have complied with the minimum health, safety and social distancing measures on COVID-19, as contemplated in these Directions and the Regulations, are allowed to open, as contemplated in sub-direction (1): Provided that a public school must also have all the COVID-19 essentials in place. |
| (7) | A school or office that has failed to comply with the minimum health, safety and social distancing measures on COVID-19, as contemplated in these Directions and the Regulations, remains closed until all the health, safety and social distancing measures are in place. |
| (8) | The Head of Department, or a person duly authorised by him or her, must continuously monitor and evaluate the opening of schools and the maintenance of hygiene and safety standards for the duration of the national state of disaster and must report, in writing, every two weeks, to the Department of Basic Education on— |
| (a) | the number of COVID-19 cases in schools; |
| (b) | any failure to meet the required minimum health, safety and social distancing measures on COVID-19, including those set out in section 5 of the DBE Standard Operating Procedures and the DBE Guidelines, including the COVID-19 essentials, in the case of a public school; and |
| (c) | the Head of Department’s determination on whether a school is permitted to open, in terms of sub-direction (6). |
| (9) | Should it be determined, in terms of sub-direction (8)(c), that a school does not meet the minimum health, safety and social distancing requirements on COVID-19, the Head of Department, or a person duly authorised by him or her, must, together with the school, formulate a plan within three days from such determination that includes, but is not limited to, the following: |
| (a) | Scope of the problem; |
| (b) | measures taken to address the problem; and |
| (c) | any challenges experienced in addressing the problem. |
| (10) | The school must ensure that the plan, as contemplated in sub-direction (9), is communicated in writing to officials, parents and learners within seven calendar days. |
| (11) | The Head of Department, or a person duly authorised by him or her, must make reasonable arrangements with schools to ensure the provision of learning material and continued teaching to learners who are unable to attend school due to— |
| (a) | an underlying health condition; |
| (b) | being self-isolated or quarantined due to COVID-19 symptoms or testing positive for COVID-19; |
| (c) | a decision taken by the Head of Department to close a school or part of a school, after consultation with a health official in accordance with the DBE Standard Operating Procedures as a result of a confirmed COVID-19 case; or |
| (d) | a determination made in terms of sub-direction (8)(c). |
| (12) | A parent, caregiver or a designated family member, must ensure that the teaching and learning material, as contemplated in sub-direction (11), are collected or accessed as per arrangement with the school. |
| (13) | The Head of Department must ensure that the schools continue to conduct assessments of learners and provide feedback to the learners or parents. |
| (14) | A school, must comply with the social distancing and timetable models, as contemplated in direction 16. |
| (15) | The Head of Department must ensure that the National School Nutrition Programme is made accessible to every qualifying learner. |
| (16) | Aftercare facilities that are managed by or operating at a school, and aftercare facilities in education support centres, are allowed to reopen: Provided that they comply with the minimum health, safety and social distancing measures and requirements on COVID-19, referred to in section 5 of the DBE Standard Operating Procedures and the DBE Guidelines. |
| (17) | Scholar transport must comply with the directions issued by the Department of Transport. |
