TWO private schools in Bulawayo’s affluent suburbs are defying Covid-19 lockdown regulations by conducting physical lessons.
President Mnangagwa on Tuesday extended the enhanced level
four lockdown regulations by a further two weeks with Cabinet resolving to
postpone face-to-face learning to reduce infections.
Schools, which were initially scheduled to open on June 28
for the second term, remain closed for the next two weeks following a spike in
Covid-19 cases in the country.
Investigations by Chronicle revealed that one of the
schools that has been conducting lessons, Absorbent Minds Pre-School in
Hillside suburb, is allegedly unregistered.
The school caters for children aged from 13 months to five
years. It, however, could not be established whether the other school, which is
operating at Drummond Ranch in Burnside, is registered.
When the news crew visited the two institutions, children
were playing outside in the garden with their teachers monitoring them.
Disguising as parents looking for a place at the Drummond
Ranch School in Burnside suburb, the news crew spoke to one of the unsuspecting
teachers who openly admitted that they were conducting physical lessons.
“Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 regulations, we are not
taking new pupils. Of course, we are conducting lessons and we have 12 pupils
attending our classes from Monday to Friday,” said the teacher.
She also revealed that they had secured a piece of land
where they intend to construct classroom blocks.
When the journalists later identified themselves and sought
contacts of the owner of the school, one Mrs Toni Drummond, the teacher went
inside the house, which is used as a classroom on the pretext that she was
getting the contacts.
She returned a few minutes with a colleague and they
changed their story. “Actually, we are not conducting any lessons, these are
just bike lessons that we conduct every Friday. In any case, who allowed you to
access our premises?”
All sporting activities remain banned during the lockdown. The
teachers, who were visibly frightened, immediately dismissed the pupils.
When our photographer took the pictures of the children
playing in the garden, the teachers got furious and immediately ordered the
security guard to lock the gate before they subsequently called the detectives
from Hillside Police Station.
The news crew was detained at the premises for almost an
hour while waiting for the police to arrive at the scene.
When the police arrived, the children had already
disappeared from the scene. Ironically, police did not bother to quiz the
teachers on why they were violating Covid-19 preventive measures.
The news crew was taken to Hillside Police Station where
the officer in charge of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) briefly
interviewed the journalists before releasing them without any charges.
At Absorbent Minds Pre-School, children were playing in the
garden. A teacher who declined to reveal her identity said they were not
conducting physical lessons. She claimed that the pupils had gathered for a
birthday party.
Under the enhanced level four lockdown regulations recently
extended by President Mnangagwa by another two weeks, all public gatherings,
including parties are banned.
Quizzed on why they were having a party when public gatherings
have been banned, the teacher referred the news crew to the school
administrator only identified as Mrs King.
Mrs King’s cellphone continuously went unanswered before it
eventually went on voicemail.
Responding to questions sent via their Facebook page,
Absorbent Minds Pre-School said: “We have received your message and appreciate
you reaching out. We are currently closed until Government announces the
reopening of schools.”
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mr
Taungana Ndoro said schools that violate Covid-19 regulations risk being
deregistered.
“The Government has suspended physical learning as part of
Covid-19 lockdown measures in view of the spike in new cases. We therefore
expect all schools, both public or private to adhere to the regulations and
those that violate the lockdown measures risk being deregistered,” he said.
Mr Ndoro said the Ministry will institute investigations to
establish whether the two Bulawayo schools are on the list of those registered.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said they will
investigate the matter.
Cabinet recently directed that Treasury urgently releases
the first tranche of $368,2 million it had committed towards funding the
enforcement of Level 4 lockdown measures as part of efforts aimed at containing
the spread of Covid-19.
Last month, another private primary school in Victoria
Fall, Shalom Kids Learning Centre was found conducting physical lessons. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment