by Christopher Makaza
Government has deferred the re-opening of schools country-wide, while the writing of public examination continues.
This was revealed during the twenty-fourth Post Cabinet press briefing on Zimbabwe’s response to COVID-19 outbreak held yesterday in Harare.
The report presented by the Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Inter Ministerial Taskforce on COVID-19, Honourable Vice President Kembo Mohadi also hinted that private schools that had opened without permission will be closed.
Schools were closed on 24 March 2020, exactly nine days before the planned closing date in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which was just making inroads into the African continent.
The country, then, had barely registered a case and there was palpable fear and apprehension in the country towards the virus, which was wreaking havoc in Europe and China. Zimbabwe declared its lockdown on 29 March 2020.
Teachers who spoke to Harare Post applauded the Government's move to defer the opening of schools saying it will go a long way in minimising local transmission of the deadly disease.
"We highly welcome this development, we cannot put learners at risk of contracting the disease by re-opening schools now. Winter is a time of flu and other respiratory illnesses and it is easy to contract the ordinary flu with COVID-19. We need to be careful about the timing of the opening of schools," said Mr Tendai Julius, a teacher from Mhangura.
Fadzai Mureza, a teacher from Kuwadzana also welcomed the development, but, urged the Government to increase access to internet for the success of e-learning.
"We really appreciate this development which is meant to save lives. We, however, appeal to the Government to ensure that internet is also accessible in remote and public schools so that e-learning can be accessible to all learners during this era of COVID-19,” he said.
To ensure that learners continue to learn whilst at home, the Government introduced radio lessons for learners at different levels as well as e-learning for those with access to the internet.
Meanwhile, in preparation for grade seven and secondary examinations, teachers across the country are currently holding workshops on the handling and managing of learners during the course of their duties with a view to eradicating the possibility of transmission of the disease.
Commenting on the deferment of the re-opening of schools, Mutare based political analyst, Welcome Saungweme said: “If government can defer such an important national activity, why not on all these other lesser events. I am speaking here with the 31 July demonstration in mind. While they have a constitutional right to demonstrate, the timing is very wrong.”
Saungweme said people’s lives should not be put at risk because of a demo that will not achieve much save to fulfil some egoistic ends. He said the demonstration could be shelved until the environment is conducive.
