GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - In the interests of learner and teacher safety, and after extensive consultation with the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and the South African Weather Service (SAWS), a decision has been taken to close all schools in the Western Cape on Tuesday, 12 May.

This includes all public, ordinary and special schools in the province. Disaster Management and SAWS have made the recommendation based on updated weather projections and current conditions.

The default position of the Western Cape Government is always to keep schools open and only close schools in exceptional circumstances, but we are mindful of the severity of the warnings in place.

The local government will continuously monitor and evaluate the situation to ensure that schools can reopen as soon as possible, which is currently expected to be on Wednesday, 13 May.

As of 13:30 on Monday, 11 May, a total of 227 schools applied for closure in addition to the closure list issued for the Cape Winelands, Eden, and Central Karoo districts.

Many schools have also suffered damage due to the storm, which is currently being assessed.

Thank you to the officials, principals, teachers, and parents for your support in implementing school closures.

And thank you to the first responders, emergency services, and disaster management officials who continue to support our schools during the severe weather conditions.

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