The Northern Cape Department of Education welcomed back our Grade 7 learners today, after a two week recess period as announced by the President. As a Province, we are pleased to indicate that no major challenges or incidents were reported and schooling resumed as normal.

To date, a total of 37 450 learners (Grade 7 and 12) have returned to schools, with the next cluster of Grades returning on the 24th of August 2020. Since the re-opening of schools on the 8th of June 2020, 122 schools in the Province have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus far, 134 educators and 65 learners tested positive for COVID-19 in our schools.

We would also like to express a word of appreciation especially to our parents and learners for their commitment towards education. Yes, it is important for learners to attend school and we have put in place the necessary systems and precautionary measures to ensure their health and safety. Our educators have been at the forefront and relentless in their efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, and for that we are very grateful. We will continue to provide our unwavering support to all our schools as we navigate through this difficult period.

All our efforts are geared towards saving the school academic year, with a specific focus on our Grade 12 learners. We have identified 7 centres across the Province, where approximately 3000 Grade 12 learners will be incubated for a period of 3-4 months. All educators and learners will receive personal protective equipment and will be subjected to regular screening and testing for the duration of the camp. The incubation camps are necessary to ensure that learners are well prepared and ready for the 2020 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examinations.

These camps will commence on the 14th of August 2020 with registration and weekend orientation, with formal lessons to start on the 17th of August 2020. The camps will function as normal schools where teaching, learning and assessments will be prioritised. We are confident that these interventions will contribute positively to an improved pass rate in the NSC Examinations.