The Star reports that furious parents have slammed the management of Makaula Senior Secondary School for failing to protect their children after more than 200 learners and workers at the renowned boarding school tested positive for Covid-19.  

The parents were shocked to learn that 172 Grade 12 learners and 32 staff members at the KwaBhaca (formerly Mount Frere) school had tested positive for the virus.  On Tuesday, angry parents rushed to pick up their children while health officials scrambled to deal with the outbreak.  Parents complained that their children were taken to hospital after falling sick – without them being informed.  Some blamed the school for “quickly rushing” to reopen without ensuring that all protective measures against the disease were in place.  According to parents, the school reopened on 1 June, even though education authorities had announced that the actual reopening date was 8 June.  This week, learners held a protest at the school, demanding to be released to their families.  One concerned parent said the school management needed to be held accountable and went on to say:  “They kept this a secret at the expense of the health care of our children.  The school was supposed to have immediately shut down last week but it continued until a protest by our children this week.”  On Tuesday, an Eastern Cape health department spokesperson advised that they had deployed a team of doctors and tracers to the school.  He said 63 teachers at the school had also been tested and were still awaiting results.  Chris Mdingi of the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union lashed out at the province’s education department for not prioritising the health care of teachers and learners in the region.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sithandiwe Velaphi on page 1 of The Star of 24 June 2020

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