SCHOOLS will open in two phases for the 2021 first term, with the first classes resuming lessons first week of January after Government declared that recent sporadic outbreaks of Covid-19 in schools had been contained.
All classes, with the exception of Form One and Five
learners, will commence learning on January 4, with this year’s Ordinary Level
examination candidates resuming their exam sittings the following day.
Form One and Five classes will return to school in February
after Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (Zimsec) has released their results.
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Ambassador Cain
Mathema said all pupils will be in school by February.
“We recently issued statements to school heads regarding
when schools will be opened,” said Ambassador Mathema.
“I have submitted the calendar to Cabinet and I can tell
you that by February all students will be in school.”
The Ministry’s spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro said public
examinations will resume after the festive season holiday break.
“Students in Grade One to Seven, Form Two up to Four and
Upper Sixth learners will be back in school on January 4,” said Mr Ndoro.
“Form Fours sitting for their examinations will go back to
school on January 5. “Form One students will open on February 9 next year, this
is to enable marking of their examinations and to ensure parents secure places
for their children.
“Lower Sixth students will have to wait for their O’Level
results to be released.” Advanced Level and Grade Seven candidates started
writing examinations on December 1 and 3 respectively and will finish this
week.
Ordinary Level candidates will break on December 18 before
resuming sitting for their last papers on January 5. Mr Ndoro said the number
of Covid-19 cases reported in schools recently had significantly dropped.
Over 300 pupils, teachers and staff have tested positive to
Covid-19 at nearly 30 schools countrywide in recent weeks, prompting fears of a
widespread outbreak.
“The Ministry was in the Matabeleland provinces assessing
the situation in schools that had students who were infected with the
Covid-19,” said Mr Ndoro.
“At John Tallach 184 students out of 185 have been cleared
and at Chinhoyi all 72 cases have been cleared and this is very encouraging. “We
are yet to receive statistics from the other schools that were affected.”
In her weekly Covid-19 update on Friday, chief coordinator of the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva said outbreaks in schools had been contained.
“Reports from monitoring support and supervision visits
indicate that the situation in our schools is now under control,” said Dr
Mahomva.
“Government is grateful to parents in the affected schools
for not only being cooperative during the outbreak, but for also remaining very
calm and very supportive during the investigations and implementation of the
recommendations.
“Government would also like to thank the teachers and other
school authorities who stepped up to ensure that the situation was brought
under control in a very timely fashion.”
Zimsec board chairperson Professor Eddie Mwenje said the
public examinations body would prioritise marking of Grade Seven papers to
allow parents adequate time to secure Form One places for their children.
“We will be marking Grade Seven papers first and we are
hoping that they will be released around mid-January,” said Prof Mwenje.
“Zimsec is also coming up with strategies that will be used
to ensure that all work is done as soon as possible. We will only be in
position to give these strategies when we have sat down and deliberated next
week. We understand that there are students who want to proceed to tertiary
institutions, some want to go to Lower Sixth and to Form One, so we will try to
fast-track the process.” Sunday Mail
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