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Thembisa Shologu
Gauteng Provincial Government has assured parents that Gauteng schools are ready to resume teaching and learning.
Addressing the provincial command council on the province's school readiness, MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi said Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will first be sent to schools before teaching and learning starts.
"We are making PPEs available first and then the resumption of responsibilities. Where there are no PPEs, we are not going to risk educators, school staff or learners to come at our schools.
"All learners and staff must be geared with appropriate personal protective equipment  at all times to prevent any exposure or risk to health," said MEC Lesufi.
Lesufi has urged parents to comment on the school readiness document that would be available by next week so it could be something that everyone is proud of. 
"We also want public's opinion on this, we are not saying as Gauteng Government we know all (everything).
"We are going to make the document available for public comments starting from Monday until Friday next week, every parent that feels can enhance this document on our readiness, we are willing to take that and we will incorporate their views so that by the 1 of June when we open our schools, every parent and every person have contributed to this document and it can be a document that all of us are proud of," he said.  
Social distancing will be adhered to in classes and in school transport with the assistance of youth brigades.
"The learners are to be spread in a multiple number of classes across the school in line with social distancing requirements with the phase 1 plans to accommodate grade 7 and grade 12.
"Although a guideline has been provided, each school will have to be responsible for adaptations to their current layouts, based on the principles set out in the document," said the MEC.
Lesufi said there were water challenges in at least 67 schools in the province but was convinced that by June 1 the water tanks would be available. 
"We are providing water to all our schools, there are 67schools in our province that have challenges of water out of 2800 schools and all of these schools will receive water tanks and the tanks will be changed daily so that learners can use them," MEC Lesufi said.  ​​