Govt moves to safeguard learners

Herald Reporter
The Government will continue to enforce compliance policies that safeguard learners in schools to reduce disasters such as road traffic accidents involving learners, an official has said.

The compliance issues are in line with Policy number 54 which provides guidelines for classroom education and extra curricula activities such as educational tours.

Harare Metropolitan Province District Schools Inspector for Mbare and Hatfield District Mr Absolom Chinoona said this was as a result of increasing concerns over the proliferation of unregistered private colleges that bypass the country’s policies governing the education sector, therefore exposing children to unhealthy environments.

With regards to educational tours, Mr Chinoona said the policy stipulated schools get authorisation before embarking on the trips to ensure safety of learners.

This calls for vehicle inspection to ensure fitness for the planned trip as well as the driver’s fitness for duty.

Mr Chinoona indicated formal schools were complaint with the requirements.

“Fitness test is requirement,” he said on the sidelines of a handover ceremony of a school bus at Sunny Day Christian School in Waterfalls, Harare last week.

“Each time the school wants to go on an educational tour they should apply and fulfil certain specified requirements and meet requirements, like fitness of the vehicle, and the driver.

“They should get authorisation even for the planned destination they want to visit.

“So far, formal schools are 100 percent compliant. All Government schools are 100 percent, as they function according to the Education Act which gives provisions on what should be done.”

Mr Chinoona said Government was concerned with schools risking the lives of learners by engaging unregistered transporters using private unroad-worthy vehicles popularly known as “mushikashika” to ferry kids to and from school where they will be overloaded.

“Our main concern is the safety of the young ones,” he said.

Mr Chinoona applauded Sunny Day Christian School for the acquisition of its own school bus as well as meeting all Government requirements in terms of its sporting and boarding facilities and classroom education.

He commended the school for attaining a 100 percent pass rate for both the Zimsec and Cambridge examinations at Grade Seven.