peterHarare Bureau
SCHOOLS reopen next Monday with the resumption of O-level and A-level examinations following the fortnight break for Christmas and New Year, the shortest Christmas holiday ever while the rest of the pupils start a week later on Monday January 10.
Parents have been busy preparing for the resumption of examinations and the return of the rest of the classes while shops that sell uniforms are fully stocked for the opening of schools.
Pupils began writing the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council exams on November 22 and will finish by the end of next month.
Exams were held late because of the Covid-19-induced long term break and the delay in writing exams was meant to give pupils time to catch up.
Both O and A-level exam classes took a break on December 17 when the very long second and final term for this year ended for all pupils
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro yesterday confirmed that schools will reopen on Monday and that the Covid-19 guidelines as set out by health authorities will be strictly observed.
The guidelines include hand-washing, regular temperature checks, wearing of face masks and social distancing.
Mr Ndoro said the schools’ calendar for other non-examination classes would remain as previously announced unless changes are made.
“Other classes will return on previously announced dates unless new pronouncements are made,” he said.
The first term for 2022 is set to begin on January 10. Schools’ holidays were reduced by a week to make up for the time lost this year due to long term breaks as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The country’s schools calendar has been disrupted by the pandemic which forced schools to close for long periods since 2020 as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus.
When schools finally opened the learning time was reduced as classes had to alternate after the size of classes was reduced to enable pupils to maintain social distancing.
Many pupils tested positive to Covid-19 at a number of schools and pupils still on the active list at boarding schools had to wait until the required isolation period was over before they could go home.
As part of efforts to reduce the Covid-19 risk the medical authorities declared Sinopharm vaccine safe for children aged 16 and above and the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare then sent teams to most secondary schools to vaccinate pupils in the age groups, with a very high uptake rate.
Government has also come up with the e-learning strategy and radio lessons for pupils as part of measures to reduce human interactions in schools and a number of efforts are in place to give more pupils practical access to these lessons.
Government has also warned schools not to hike school fees without going through the proper procedures and encouraged them to have payment plans available if parents needed these so that no learners will be disturbed.
At the same time the Government’s own BEAM programme has been dramatically expanded so that up to a third of pupils at public schools can have tuition fees and uniforms covered.
Online Reporter