Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No. 57 of 2002)NoticesDirections regarding the reopening of schools and measures to address, prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19 in the National Department of Basic Education, and Provincial Departments of Education, and all schools in the Republic of South Africa9. Learners with special educational needs |
(1)
| (a) | All public schools, including public schools for learners with special education needs, as contemplated by the South African Schools Act, must comply with all directions, guidelines and circulars regarding the reopening of schools. |
| (b) | In addition to paragraph (a), all public schools, including public schools for learners with special education needs, as contemplated by the South African Schools Act, must comply with the guidelines developed for the specific categories of learners, as contained in the DBE Standard Operating Procedures. |
| (2) | Officials who are unable to practise social distancing from learners with special education needs must be provided by the Provincial Department of Education with appropriate personal protective equipment, including protective clothing, where such provision is necessary. |
| (3) | Officials appointed to carry out symptom screening, in schools for deaf learners, must be able to communicate using South African Sign Language. Where this is not possible, a sign language interpreter must be available to ensure proper communication with the learners. |
| (4) | Written communication for blind learners, as well as those who are Deaf-blind, must be through Braille. |
| (5) | The Provincial Department of Education must, at a minimum, provide the following personal protective equipment to learners with visual and hearing impairments: |
| (a) | Face shields, in the case of blind learners; |
| (b) | cloth face masks, in the case of low vision learners, teachers and support staff; and |
| (c) | face shields, in the case of teachers, support staff and learners in schools for the deaf. |
| (6) | Where a learner with special education needs does not return to school for any of the reasons referred to in direction 5(11)— |
| (a) | the Head of Department must make all reasonable efforts to ensure— |
| (i) | the availability and distribution of teaching and learning material in appropriate modes and access to remote support from teachers; |
| (ii) | the provision for loan of education-specific assistive devices for use at home, where necessary; and |
| (iii) | the provision of and access to therapeutic services where necessary; and |
| (b) | a parent, caregiver or a designated family member of such learner must— |
| (i) | on a form substantially similar to Annexure A1, apply, as contemplated in direction 6(2)(b), for full or partial exemption of the learner from compulsory school attendance; |
| (ii) | specifically request support for teaching and learning material, assistive devices or therapeutic services, as contemplated in paragraph (a); and |
| (iii) | ensure that any teaching and learning material and assistive devices, as contemplated in paragraph (a), are collected or accessed and returned as per arrangement with the school. |