Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
WHEN Covid-19 broke out in Zimbabwe in March, forcing the Government to close 9 500 schools, about 4,6 million children were affected and a majority of those in Matabeleland region did not benefit from home schooling.
For five months schools were closed which prompted the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to introduce online and home-schooling lessons as the country was battling to prevent the spread of the global pandemic which has killed 257 Zimbabweans. These lessons were done via internet platforms or WhatsApp.
However, all children are now at school after a phased reopening that ended on Monday last week.
According to the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) report, only seven percent of pupils in Matabeleland South had access to any form of home schooling during the lockdown.
The average also reflects the national percentage as the same report shows that in Zimbabwe 93 percent of school going children had no access to home schooling during the lockdown.
“Beitbridge (16 percent) and Insiza (13 percent) had the highest proportion of children receiving some form of home schooling. This means the majority were not receiving home schooling during lockdown,” read the report.
“Umzingwane district has the highest number of children who did not access any form of home schooling at 99 percent followed by Matobo and Mangwe districts which both scored 98 percent.”
ZimVAC also reported that 90 percent of children in Bulilima district did not access home schooling while Insiza and Beitbridge districts recorded 87 percent and 84 percent respectively.
For Matabeleland North province, ZimVAC said the proportion of children accessing any form of education during the lockdown was generally low at 5,2 percent.
“Lupane (8,4 percent) had the highest proportion of children receiving any form of schooling during the lockdown period in the province. However the proportion of children not attending school had decreased across the whole province from 21 percent to 14,6 percent,” said ZimVAC.
According to Unicef Zimbabwe, the longer children are out of school, the higher their chance of permanently dropping out of school and their likelihood in facing dire problems including child labour.
“At the end of March, 9 500 schools in Zimbabwe were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic — affecting more than 4,6 million children in the country. School closures have disrupted the education of more than 4,6 million children, with adverse impacts on the protection and wellbeing of children as well as their readiness for school, attendance and participation in learning,” said Unicef.
“Prolonged school closures are likely to have a major and negative affect on children’s learning, physical, social and mental health and well-being threatening hard-won educational achievements for years to come.
After extended breaks from school many children simply never return.”
Unicef evidence shows that the cost of a continued lockdown is very high for children as it increases the risk of teenage pregnancies, sexual exploitation, child marriages, abuse, violence, mental health issues and other threats to their well-being. — @thamamoe
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