Government has insisted on reopening schools for the
remaining classes — Early Childhood Development to Grade 5, as well as Forms
One and Two — while keeping a tight lid on by-elections and other public
gatherings, with a possibility of imposing another lockdown.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president
Takavafira Zhou said it was scary that government had ordered schools to
operate 100% at a time the country was recording a surge in COVID-19 cases,
including five that were confirmed at a primary school in Masvingo and another
one in Bulawayo.
“We are not going to work, but what must be made clear is
that teachers are not absent. They have been deliberately incapacitated by the
employer,” Zhou said.
He said COVID-19 cases were rising in schools, adding that
the situation was likely to get out of hand as most schools had inadequate
personal protective equipment.
“I am sure you are aware now that there are several schools
where students have tested positive for COVID-19 like Rujeko Primary School and
a lot of other schools elsewhere. The issue of health and safety of teachers is
a crucial one and so we want the government to address these issues before
teachers can go back to work,” Zhou said.
“We have maintained that teachers and pupils must be tested
before they go back to school and now with the coming in of infants, you can
imagine what will be happening.”
A snap survey by NewsDay in Harare showed that pupils were
boarding school buses without following COVID-19 protocols and without their
hands being sanitised.
Some schools, particularly in Harare, reportedly advised
pupils to stay home citing COVID-19 risks and absence of teachers.
But Agnes Mahomwa, the chief co-ordinator for the national
response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet,
yesterday said government had made risk assessments and concluded that pupils
were better off in school than at home.
“As we have been implementing our response, we were
continuously monitoring to make sure that guidelines and protocols are in place.
We have also looked at researches and assessments done elsewhere, and Unicef
has helped us in that area in balancing the act to say what more damage can we
do by not allowing learners to go back to school versus the risk of COVID-19,
and it has been very clear that you can actually do more damage when you don’t
allow the learners to go back to school,” she said.
“But what we have to make sure is that when they go back to
school, you guard and make sure all the guidelines and processes are being
adhered to,” she said.
She, however, could not be drawn to explain how the
guidelines and protocols would be enforced in the absence of teachers.
Labour minister Paul Mavima admitted in Senate last week
that the majority of teachers were not reporting for duty, adding that
government had no capacity to pay the United States dollar-based salaries they
were demanding. Government has also threatened to dock striking teachers’
salaries.
“Yes, there is a challenge in schools. Teachers are not
reporting for work. Most of the children are not learning and we have seen the
bad behaviour of children because of the absence of teachers,” Mavima said.
The minister continued: “What I was thinking is that the
government has shown sincerity, it has shown concern for teachers. I think they
should go back to schools and we will still continue engaging while they are
imparting education to our children so that we do not go back, but they are
saying they want US$540 as minimum for teachers.
“There is no way we can give teachers US$540 or its
equivalent without offsetting that stability. We will go back into inflation.
So what is needed are dedicated teachers, Zimbabweans who are patriotic, who
see where our economy is going so that they go back to work and the government
will continue negotiating with them and we will increase their salaries as we
go on,” Mavima said.
Teachers are currently earning the equivalent of US$40
after their earnings were eroded by inflation.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on
Primary and Secondary Education Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga said
stakeholders had agreed that schools could open only when it was safe to do so.
“The general position of the committee has not changed and
that is to say we want schools to remain safe for children. It is entirely up
to government to ensure schools are a safe environment for them. Our position
will be that until they can be able to ensure it is safe to do so, kids cannot
go back to school,” she said.
Both Primary and Secondary Education minister Cain Mathema
and his deputy Edgar Moyo were not reachable for comment. Newsday
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