Anxious parents and teachers will have to wait a while longer to find out what the plans for the schools system are amid the Covid-19 crisis.
An announcement regarding the schooling system - both basic and higher education - was supposed to have been made on Monday but was postponed at the last minute.
Meanwhile the Western Cape Education Department says a notice doing the rounds on social media about the phasing in of schools reopening, is fake news.
According to the notice, Grades 12 and 7 were supposed to go back to school on 6 May followed by the various other grades in June and July.
However WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond says the notice, which was posted on the Facebook page of the South African School Forum, is not true.
“There has been a number of proposals over the last few weeks. Nothing has been confirmed, and therefore we cannot comment on speculation at this stage,” she says.
The WCED is waiting on instructions from Education Minister Angie Motshekga.
Brian Schreuder, the provincial Head of Department, asked teachers not to become anxious about the workload: "We won’t expect full curriculum catch up and we will reduce content and assessments.”
The Department of Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the briefing by ministers Angie Motshekga and Dr Blade Nzimande was postponed to later this week.
“The postponement is necessitated by the need to align with other interventions that are taken by the National Command Council later this week,” Mhlanga said.
Mhlanga said the department was tracking the Covid-19 infection rates.
“Decisions on education are based on the assessment done daily. Whatever criticism you level against the Department, keep in mind that we are dealing with a dangerous virus which has killed people already.
"We need to remember also that the Department had never published a date for the reopening of schools. The anxiety is caused by fake news and leaked discussion documents.
"That context is critical, never lose sight of the fact that the COVID-19 is a new situation and we have no previous experience on it,” Mhlanga said.
While some universities have commenced with online classes and some schools also have virtual lessons, the majority of pupils have been left in the dark.
They have to either catch up on their lessons through SABC TV channels and on radio or the DBE’s website.