Human Rights Commission to monitor reopening of schools
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says it will closely monitor the reopening of schools in June.
Schools, which have been closed since March in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus, will reopen on June 1.
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Grades 7 and 12s will be the first to resume the academic year.
The commission’s Andre Gaum says the government needs to be aware of cases where teachers and children are vulnerable.
"We will be monitoring across the country and we want to make sure that the school environment is conducive in this period.
"It is important for us to assess the situation and then we will also bring forward problems and potential human rights issues to the attention of the relevant provincial departments."
He adds that the provision of water and sanitation remain a concern in several provinces.
"We know where there are serious water and sanitation problems and it includes the province of Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal as well as Limpopo and North West."