admin
Monica Cheru Creative Editor
Many parents met news of the early closure of schools with relief. This comes as the United Nations (UN) says 102 countries have nationwide closures that have affected over 849 million children and youth from pre-primary to higher education.
The figure could be as high as one billion when countries with localised school closures are factored in.
South Africa and Zambia have confirmed Covid-19 cases and are closing schools in response. Many people are now convinced that it is now a matter of when, not if, for Zimbabwe to also have a confirmed case.
Zimbabwe is made up of three groups of people when it comes to Covid-19 discussions. There are those who believe it was already among us and there was a conspiracy to conceal the “truth”.
The second group is made up of people who are eager to see the virus hit Zimbabwe to the extent that they are generating and wantonly sharing fake news.
The last group is of sober-minded individuals who are hoping for the best. It is the last group that is taking practical steps to prevent the spread of the virus.
All three groups are represented among parents and guardians of school-going children.
Debate on whether or not the Government should immediately close schools in response to the Covid-19 threat has ended with the announcement that schools will be closing a week earlier on March 24.
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe said in a statement: “Therefore, in the wake of this pandemic, ARTUZ wishes to advise the ministry to immediately close all Government schools on the 20th of March 2020, failure to that, ARTUZ will not hesitate to withdraw its members from schools.”
Ironically, the same organisation wants a big gathering to take place: “Further to that, we request for an Education Sector indaba to further dialogue on strategies that we might take to upscale our preparedness in the face of coronavirus.”
On most social media platforms, panic ignited by fake news and lack of information seem to have prompted calls for the early closure of schools.
Even when claims of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe are dispelled with facts, the group feels the time to act is now rather than having to wait for disaster to strike.
Parents are naturally concerned for the safety and welfare of their children.
Young people are highly social and play with a lot of physical contact. Some of them are not yet fully socialised into behaviours like covering their mouths when they cough and washing their hands. Avoiding touching the face is difficult for adults, but especially so for children.
The issue of education in the times of Covid-19 have not been closed with this announcement. We need to know that while the impact for first term is negligible, second term is still around the corner and we have to think of what will happen if Covid-19 is still a matter of national concern in May.
What is important is for schools and other public institutions to institutionalise good hygiene as a matter of permanent standards, not just as periodic reaction to diseases like Covid-19 and cholera. There will always be an outbreak of something at one time or another.
So handwashing in school should be routine, not just something to do when there is a health scare going around.
Rural schools must be equipped with handwashing facilities.
These need not be expensive as there are many innovations that create running water using rudimentary equipment like empty plastic containers and ropes or simple water tanks made out of bricks and concrete structures.
The World Health Organisation has put together a guide on keeping education going in times of Covid-19 which makes a useful resource and can be freely accessed on:
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/key-messages-and-actions-for-covid-19-prevention-and-control-in-schools-march-2020.pdf?sfvrsn=baf81d52_4
The information rich digital pamphlet addresses Covid-19 frequently asked questions from a factual point of view. Specifically, it addresses how Covid-19 correlates to learners of school going age:
Who is most at risk?
“We are learning more about how COVID-19 affects people every day. Older people, and people with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, appear to be more at risk of developing severe symptoms. As this is a new virus, we are still learning about how it affects children.
“We know it is possible for people of any age to be infected with the virus, but so far there are relatively few cases of COVID-19 reported among children. This is a new virus and we need to learn more about how it affects children. The virus can be fatal in rare cases, so far mainly among older people with pre-existing medical conditions.”
There is specific information for school administrators, staff and teachers on how to spot children who may be unwell, ensure that good hygiene is practiced. There is also a very useful Checklist on Safe School Environments.
Parents and members of the community also have specific information directed to them.
The guide advises that children who are well be kept in school. It also has guidelines for age specific education on Covid-19.
The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) is warning that closure of schools will affect the most vulnerable children. The organisation points out that interrupted learning results in missed opportunities for growth and development may not be recovered and it under-privileged learners with fewer educational opportunities beyond school are the hardest hit.
There is also the issue of nutrition. Zimbabwe is giving supplementary feeding learners at schools and the closure of school will have a direct impact on their nutrition.
Unesco says it is a challenge to ensure children return and stay in school when schools reopen as dropout rates rise in protracted closures.
With a dropout rate hovering at 12 percent Zimbabwe cannot afford anything that will worsen that statistic.
As we make decisions we should note that most of the countries with blanket shutdowns of schools have e-learning practicalities and children still have access to education from home.
The writer is a former high school teacher and a textbook author. [email protected]
Online Reporter