Teachers return to desks Monday for 2024 prep work

CAPE TOWN – It is back to school for teachers on Monday.

They must prepare for the official start of the 2024 academic year.

For learners, schools will start on Wednesday.

The National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) said overcrowding and the provision of classrooms remain a cause for concern going into the new school year.

NAPTOSA’s Basil Manuel: "There's still overcrowding and if we want quality education, there must be sufficient space in schools so that attention can be paid to every child."

He added that there’s more to be worried about.

"Given the year that we are in, we are worried about unnecessary disruptions to the programme of learning and teaching, where protests will increase and the like, and our appeal is to the broader community: let's protect our schools, let's protect our children and their right to be in school and to be educated," explained Manuel.