By 
Government has released a revised school calendar which will see primary and secondary schools closing in December despite a long COVID-19 induced break.
Schools were prematurely closed in March following the outbreak of the global pandemic coronavirus also known as COVID-19.
The government recently announced the reopening of schools under three phases which saw 2020 exam classes opening on 28 September.
Evening after spending more than five months without normal classes, learners will still proceed to the next level in 2021.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Ambassador Cain confirmed the development during a post-cabinet media briefing held this Tuesday in Harare.
“Phase One for the Phased School Term commenced on Monday, 28 September 2020. This is strictly for ZIMSEC examination classes, that is, Grade 7, Form 4 and Form 6,” he said.
Phase Two is for Grade 6; Form 3 and 5. It starts on 26 October 2020.
“Phase Three is for the following Grades: ECD A; B; 1; 2; 3; 4 and 5; Forms 1 and 2. It commences on Monday, 9 November 2020,”
“This means that Phase One will run for 60 days, Phase Two for 40 days, and Phase Three for 30 days,”
“The Phased Term ends on Friday, 18 December 2020 and pupils will be going on vacation for only 17 days,”
Education Minister also confirmed that Government has put around 10 000 qualified, but unemployed, teachers on standby to replace those that are holding the State to ransom by engaging in an illegal industrial action
.
He said that measures had been put in place to employ the bulk of qualified, but jobless, teachers.
Some teachers did not report for duty when examination classes resumed on Monday, citing incapacitation and lack of personal protective equipment (PPEs) at schools.
Although the first phase of the reopening of schools started safely this week, with no pupil testing positive for Covid-19 following sound measures to insulate stakeholders from contracting the deadly virus, some teachers continued with their class boycott yesterday.
This prompted the Government to come up with emergency measures to ensure learning was not disrupted.
Ambassador Mathema said the Government would not allow a situation where pupils who had lost precious time during the Covid-19 lockdown, continued to be disenfranchised.
“Negotiations between Government and its workers are ongoing and we hope that they will soon find common ground to improve the lives of civil servants.
“Some teachers might want to hold the Government to ransom by not reporting for duty waiting for the completion of these negotiations. What we are saying is that learners have not been going to school since March and the Government will not allow a situation where they continue to be disadvantaged.
“We have at least 10 000 teachers who are unemployed and if the crunch comes, we will be left with no option but to quickly employ some of those teachers. Schooling has to go on and we will employ if there is a need to,” said Ambassador Mathema.
The government recently availed a total of $600 million for disbursement to needy schools to improve sanitation and enable them to reopen safely without risking a spike in Covid-19 infections.
It also ordered those who did not meet the prescribed standards not to re-open.
Ambassador Mathema said the June public examinations were held successfully, and to date after this week’s re-opening, no student had tested positive for Covid-19, a sign of adequate adherence to the prescribed protocols.
Comments