​Thembisa Shologu
MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi says Gauteng was in the process of returning all primary schools to a full school day diary.
While visiting a number of schools to check on the schools' readiness for the third term in the province on Monday 26 July 2021, MEC Lesufi said the department wanted to ensure that all primary schools and special needs schools return to their daily attendance with high schools to continue on rotation.
"Our call is for all schools, primary schools and all special needs schools return to daily attendance and high schools to continue rotate, but to do that, it means we need to put additional mobile classrooms where there is overcrowding.
"It also means all educators that were going through difficulties of sickness must come back so they can be vaccinated," said Lesufi.
He said schools would try to work very hard to make up for the lost time due to the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. 
"We are 98% ready but it is a difficult balance, extremely difficult because we want learners to come back to school on the basis that they have lost almost a year of the academic programme, but at the same time we have to be strict with COVID-19 protocols. We will try our level best to do that," he said.
In addition, Lesufi expressed concern over the vandalising of schools in the province during the winter holidays.
"About 53 schools have been vandalised, but we soldier on. To vandalise a school that can benefit your own child is something that I will never understand," Lesufi said.​