The Chairperson of the Select committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries, Mr Makhi Feni, has called on district circuit managers in Gqeberha to make proper assessments of schooling conditions before children are allowed into classrooms.

Mr Feni said the assessments needed to indicate if the Eastern Cape Schools in the Gqeberha area were ready to welcome and host students following floods on Thursday and Friday.

He said: "The committee is concerned with the condition of schools especially public schools in the townships. We do not want our educators to feel the pressure that they needed to be at school at all cost. The conditions need to be conducive for learning."

"We are concerned that no official correspondence seems to have been sent out when in fact the weather was worse. The ostrich approach does not work when our children are involved," added Mr Feni.

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The Gqeberha area saw flooding on Thursday and Friday due to climatic variation. Winter flooding is not a normal occurrence in the Gqeberha area. Mr Feni said a solid and proper assessment should be made by education officials as to whether schools had not been affected and whether learners from poor communities are able to continue with normal schooling on Monday.

"We need to prepare ourselves for this unpredictability in weather conditions; climate change is real. During these times of unpredictability we should see how we maximise virtual classrooms for the benefit of poor public schools."

Mr Feni said it is not proper if decisions are made according to schools' decisions. "That approach is not sustainable, the province-wide strategy is necessary and provincial department needs to make a call when these emergency weather situations occur."

"Class time must be prioritised but that must not compromise the welfare of our children in serious emergency situations," concluded Mr Feni.