Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
GOVERNMENT has said schools will use experience gained in the past year in the management of Covid-19 when they open for all classes next Monday.
Schools reopened on Monday for examination classes and non-examination classes are set to reopen on March 22.
Government last year came up with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) guiding the reopening of schools.
Part of the measures include reducing the number of learners per class to ensure that there is social distancing in schools.
Schools are also expected to regularly conduct temperature tests on learners and sanitise hands as well as enforcing mandatory wearing of masks.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema said Government does not expect to have challenges when schools reopen in full as lessons were learnt last year on Covid-19 management in schools.
He was responding to legislators in the National Assembly during Wednesday’s question and answer session who wanted to know what
Government was doing to ensure learners and teachers are safe at schools.
“Covid-19 in Zimbabwe and indeed the whole world did not start today; it did not start on the 15th of March, 2021. We have had more than a year, the whole country inclusive of factories, offices and even in this august House, all of us together working to prevent the spread of Covid-19. So, we are using the experience in education that we have had over the past year and we continue with schools being opened using that experience,” he said.
“Therefore, we do not see anything that is different from what happened last year that we will need to do things outside what we have achieved in the past. Yes, we will look into the whole issue and all the Covid-19 protocols from the Ministry of Health and Child Care and from the World Health Organisation (WHO).”
In response to questions that some Grade One and Form One pupils were struggling to be enrolled, Minister Mathema said parents and guardians facing challenges in securing places for their children should approach the Ministry’s officials.
“Every child in Zimbabwe must go to school and each school head — whether these are public or private schools, must make sure that every child goes to school. If there is any situation where children are being turned away for whatever reasons; and we have Covid-19 protocols, the parents, guardians and everybody else have to be in touch with my officers. We are not allowing that. Every child must go to school,” said Minister Mathema. — @nqotshili
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