The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Education is urging principals to accept all learners to return to school whether or not they have uniforms.

It comes after a principal at one of the province’s schools was criticized for dismissing pupils who had attended without uniform after their homes were flooded.

More than one hundred thousand people across the province are reported to have been affected by heavy rains last week which claimed the lives of more than 400 people.

Around 16,000 people have been displaced to seek refuge in community halls and local churches.

New Admissions

Department spokesman Muzi Mahlambi said principals must also accept new admissions from affected learners who may have moved in with relatives after losing their parents in the floods.

“Some learners might be moved; some may have lost their parents and some parents will be taken over, which will justify a relocation. So we tell principals who work with children to be sensitive to these requests and deal with these admissions, but attendance is also encouraged whether or not the child is wearing a school uniform.

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SADTU concerned about school conditions

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) has expressed concern about the condition of some schools reopening in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday following recent flooding in the province.

Sadtu Provincial Secretary Nomarashiya Caluza said some students did not have school uniforms after their homes and belongings were swept away.

“The extent of the damage is not the same. There are about 124 (schools) that will need major repairs or restart. But we are worried because at the start of the school year, some of our learners do not have a school uniform. They have nothing to wear. Some of them won’t even be able to go to school,” says Caluza.