Teacher unions are opposed to the cancelling of the October school holidays. The Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) argues that it’s not the teachers that have been causing the disruptions but the Covid-19 pandemic and its lockdowns which recently saw a longer winter break for school children.

It comes as the Department of Basic Education is considering a proposal to cancel the holidays to make up for lost academic time. It’s also seeking to avoid the prospect of a lost generation. This as the United Nations Children’s Fund has said that learners are behind as much as a full school year as a result of the pandemic.

But Mugwena Maluleke, General Secretary of the Democratic Teacher Union (Sadtu) suggests that the department needs to adapt the curriculum and be moving in the direction of blended learning which includes online learning.