GOVERNMENT will in the next three weeks announce more than
820 examination centres for candidates sitting for the deferred June public
examinations while it prepares for the staggered opening of schools.
Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) last month
indefinitely deferred the June examinations due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is putting
up measures to ensure candidates write the public examination with dates for
the tests to be announced soon.
It is also preparing for the staggered reopening of schools
while prioritising examination classes in line with President Mnangagwa’s
pronouncement.
Schools have already started preparing for their re-opening
through manufacturing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as face masks
and hand sanitizers while working on disinfecting schools, online learning
among other measures to mitigate against spread of Covid-19 in learning
institutions.
On Monday, Bulawayo province presented a Covid-19 schools
response plan where some of the measures being taken in preparation of the
global pandemic induced learning environment, were outlined.
The province revealed that from a total of 371 schools, 119
have started producing face masks for 201 111 learners with a complement of 7
000 teacher.
The province stated that it will educate learners and
teachers on behavioural change associated with Covid-19 while fumigating and
disinfecting schools in line with health experts recommendations.
The province Covid-19 schools response plan event was
attended by Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cde Cain Mathema and
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Mrs Tumisang Thabela, Minister of State for
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Cde Judith Ncube and Bulawayo Mayor councillor
Solomon Nguni, educationists among other stakeholders.
Schools in the province showcased manufactured masks,
sanitizers and online learning platforms among measures they intend to use to
prevent the spread of Covid-19 in schools.
It was observed that online learning platforms such as
Google-classroom proved to be a challenge especially due to internet
connectivity.
Minister Mathema said countrywide, schools with 4,6 million
pupils and 136 000 teachers, should take all necessary measures to keep
learning institutions Covid-19 free.
He said if mitigation measures are not put in place it
would be easy to spread the virus from the schools to the larger community
considering how learning institutions are strategically placed in society.
Minister Mathema said it was too early to announce when
schools will reopen.
“We need to make preparations as the President said it’s
going to be phased. It’s going to be staggered and obviously we cannot start
with Early Childhood Development Children. Because those are the most difficult
to control. We will end up with the ECD children. We will start with those who
are writing public examinations,” he said.
Minister Mathema said Government has started preparing for
the June public examinations.
“As a Ministry we are ready for the June examinations and
the November examinations. Following the President’s statement, we are making
those preparations for the Form Four and Advanced Level classes as well as the
Grade Seven classes. We are already preparing over 820 examination centres, I
will be making an announcement as to which ones exactly are, we’re talking
about,” said Minister Mathema.
“We will make the necessary preparations and necessary
announcements within the next two to three weeks so that we know where these
examinations will be held.”
He said it was satisfactory that schools have actively
started producing PPEs in line with Government competence-based curriculum.
Minister Mathema said they should produce even for
commercial markets. He called for cooperation among all the stakeholders in
fighting Covid-19.
“This animal called Covid-19 is facing all of us, let us
fight it together. Let us pass information that will help all of us. Let us
maintain good basic hygienic practices, sanitize our hands and wearing of masks
and be vigilant of the times,” he said. Chronicle
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