Qaqambile Mdledle​
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says the department is ready to welcome teachers, staff, and pupils back to school for the 2022 academic year. 
She gave a briefing on Tuesday on the readiness of government schools for the new academic year.
Schools in inland provinces, which include Gauteng, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West reopen on Wednesday, while pupils in the rest of the country go back to class from next week.
Minister said rotational timetable will continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The department said that it was not just about reopening but also ensuring that once teaching and learning resumed, that it was not interrupted, especially with regards to COVID-19. 
In 2021 the sector recorded a significant decline in the number of schools that were closed and reopened due to COVID-19. 
This has been attributed in part, to the successful vaccination programme of education personnel from June 2021 and the adherence to health and safety protocols.
"The fact of the matter is that COVID-19 is very much still with us, and we need to continue to work together to fight it. 
"We are exploring possibilities to return schooling to normal, but we need to do so responsibly; and to this end, we rely entirely on the advice of public health experts, through the Ministerial Advisory Committee, the National Coronavirus Command Council, and indeed Cabinet."
Motshekga added that vaccination of teachers and pupils would continue as managed by the department of health.
"We have had lots of reports of parents saying they now hear that we are going to vaccinate their children without their permission which is a bit uncomfortable. I did explain that we will seek at all costs to make sure that we work with them and get their permission."
Schools' admissions
Motshekga said the department is aware that there are learners who are yet to be placed in schools. 
"At the moment, Gauteng is experiencing challenges in this regard; and we appeal to parents and guardians to cooperate with the District officials to resolve any matter. 
"Traditionally, admissions take a year to process; but invariably, we find that due to a variety of reasons, admissions spill over into the ensuing year."
The minister said they will ensure that all unplaced learners are addressed as a matter of urgency. 
"We, however, implore parents and guardians to accept the schools in which their learners are placed. When schools reach their maximum capacities, further admissions become impossible."
Learner wellbeing
During the 2022 academic year, the Department of Basic Education will continue to implement the Partnership Protocol with the South African Police Service as part of efforts of promoting safety and security in all schools. 
This will be achieved by ensuring that schools are linked to their local police stations and that a police officer is linked to every school. 
"The Partnership Protocol contributes to the identification of problematic schools, as well as the implementation of School Safety Programmes."
The department will also roll out the Anti-Bullying Campaign, which was launched in Gauteng in May 2021. 
The campaign pulls together efforts of various government departments that contribute to the eradication and management of bullying incidents in schools while making communities aware of various available interventions to address the bullying problem.
Plans are also in place to establish school safety committees, conduct school safety audits and develop safety plans which are tailored to assist to eradicate challenges such as learners bringing weapons, alcohol and drugs to school premises.
The minister went on to express her concerns over the recent statistics on pregnancy among young girls between the ages of 10 and 19.
In this light, the DBE has gazetted the Policy for the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy (EUP) in Schools.
"Through this policy, we are on continuous engagement with other sectors and parents to strengthen the prevention of early and unintended pregnancy. 
"Interventions such as the Let's Talks EUP, implemented with support from UNESCO, allow us to open up safe spaces of intergenerational dialogue on how we could, as a collective, best deal with the issue of teenage pregnancy," Motshekga added.