Chronicle Editor
Ashley Phiri/Harare Bureau
GOVERNMENT has lifted the ban on holiday classes for examination classes but maintains its position that pupils should rest during holidays hence the ban remains in force for the rest of the pupils.
The holiday lessons for examination classes will run from August 19 to 30 and parents will pay for these lessons in their preferred currency.
The decision to allow holiday classes for those writing exams follows extensive debate as parents and teachers argued that the holiday lessons help pupils to prepare for public examinations.
In a statement yesterday, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr Moses Mhike said while the Government is still advocating for rest and balance during the holidays, the ministry also realised the challenges faced by schools in implementing the full syllabus coverage which has been recently reviewed with the introduction of Education 5.0.
“The Heritage-Based Curriculum with the preceding Competence-Based Curriculum has transformed the role of teachers from being the prime source of information to being facilitators of independent study and self-led learning by each pupil.
It is therefore important for schools to embrace blended teaching and learning approaches and emerging technologies to increase independent study capacity among pupils to afford teachers more time to do research and catch up with modern trends of teaching,” he said.
To level the playing field and ensure that no students are disadvantaged, Mr Mhike said the holiday lessons will be held at stipulated fees which will be paid for by the parents.
The ministry pegged fees for vacation lessons at US$2, US$3 and US$5 respectively, for Grade 7, Form 4 and Form 6.
Boarding students will, however, be charged an additional $4 daily, over and above the established fees. “All must however be cognisant of the need to prevent the ever-escalating cost of teaching and learning for parents, particularly in view of the disadvantaged pupils who otherwise would not benefit from extra support.”
Mr Mhike said the vacation lessons will be held under these strict guidelines. “Lessons will be held for a 10-day period only and students should turn up in their school uniforms for all lessons. Parents and guardians should receive receipts at the point of payment and proper books of accounts must be effectively managed and maintained for audit trail,” he said.
“The vacation school should be fully supervised and monitored by the Inspectorate, together with the district literacy coordinators and the remedial tutors.”
Mr Mhike said teachers should receive a 50 percent appreciation fee, with 20 percent allocated to administration and 30 percent designated for utilities and stationery.
“The Ministry looks forward to improving pupil performance through the running of the Vacation School as it will offer a focused environment for candidates to prepare for their upcoming examinations.
“Candidates should be assisted to cover a significant portion of the syllabus efficiently and effectively, including timely submissions of all their Continuous Assessment Learning Area activity components (CALA),” he said.
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) chief executive Dr Sifiso Ndlovu described the move as a welcome development.
“As long as our competency measurement is based on examinations, and even more so now that examinations account for 80 percent of the assessment, the need for extra tuition will always be there.
“We welcome this development as it is what most educators who want to see their learners pass and excel love to see,” he said
Dr Ndlovu also urged teachers to refrain from viewing extra lessons as a business opportunity, but rather to approach them with noble intentions.
“We must focus on assisting learners to achieve their est rather than viewing it as a money-spinning venture. It is simply an assistance to help learners gain as much competency as possible in preparation for an examination that determines their future.”
Zimbabwe National School Heads Union secretary general Mr Munyaradzi Majoni also commended Government for heeding unions’ calls to allow vacation lessons.
“Fundamentally, the idea of holiday lessons for candidates is an issue that we, as unions, have been pushing for and we thererfore commend Government for finally accepting and giving school authorities the green light to conduct these holiday lessons, ” he said.
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