Grey College Hit Hard By COVID-19

After 60 people tested positive for COVID-19 at Grey College, classes needed to be suspended to ensure the safety of all the other learners and staff.

Although schools are back under Lockdown Level 3, COVID-19 continues to disrupt learning. 

Grey College Secondary School is one of the oldest and most popular schools in Bloemfontein and they have reported 60 positive cases of COVID-19, 53 of the cases included learners and 7 included educators and the principal. 

Due to the rise in infections at the school, classes have been suspended to ensure the safety of all learners and staff.

The school management, parents and school governing body at Grey College have stated that they are “really concerned about the sharp increase in COVID-19 infections at the school”.

Marzaan Venter, the Communications and Marketing Officer at Grey College, stated that it was in their best interest to suspend physical classes after the COVID-19 cases at the school.

According to Venter, the Education Department and Department of Health in the province advised that contact learning be suspended for two weeks and “they would review the situation as time goes on”.

Grades 10,11 and 12 are set to return on 23 August and Grades 8 and 9 will be back on 30 August.

Grey College Primary School is able to continue with its teaching on campus as they have not been affected, however, the Secondary School has moved all their teaching online.

Only a few staff members are currently at the Secondary School to deal with administrative work, however, the school has ensured that virtual learning continues until it is safe to return.

Until the school management, stakeholders, governing body, Department of Education and Health are satisfied that it is safe to resume contact learning, online learning will continue.