One of the boarding schools, Shungu High School in Kwekwe
in the Midlands province, which had planned for an annual general meeting (AGM)
and parents visit on Saturday, was forced to cancel the meeting citing latest
communication from the parent ministry.
In a memo addressed to parents and guardians, acting school
head, Sister V Morisi wrote: “Following the communication received from the
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on the suspension of visits by
parents to schools due to Covid-19 escalation, we therefore, postpone the
scheduled AGM and visit tomorrow February 18 until further notice. New
arrangements will be communicated soon”.
The ministry’s director of communications and advocacy, Mr
Taungana Ndoro, confirmed the development.
“The ministry has with immediate effect banned parents and
guardians from visiting learners at boarding schools in a move aimed at
mitigating against the spread of Covid-19,” he said.
“The ministry is not allowing visiting days by
parents/guardians to schools. Covid-19 is escalating and footprints should be
minimised. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are still in full force.”
Mr Ndoro said Covid-19 has resurfaced especially in
boarding schools, adding that the ministry cannot afford to relax on the risk
management measures. He said statistics on Covid- 19 cases in schools will be
released soon.
“Stand guided, a minute will be generated in due course to
that effect,” said Mr Ndoro.
The 2023 first term opened on Monday, January 9, and is
ending on 30 March. The second term is scheduled to open on May 8 ending on
August 3 while the third term begins on September 4 ending on December 1.
While parents and guardians were not amused by the move,
health officials in the country have been calling on people to remain vigilant
as fresh cases of the pandemic continue to be recorded.
Mr Timothy Mavavire from Beitbridge said he had made
arrangements to spend Saturday with his son at Shungu only to be told on Friday
evening when he was in Bulawayo that the visit had been postponed.
A new variant of the Covid-19 virus, XBB, which is a
sub-lineage of the Omicron variant has been detected in more than 80 countries
with Botswana having detected cases towards the end of last year.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care cordoned off-boarding
schools in 2021 from visitors during the term as the bulk of Covid-19
infections were recorded at the institutions.
Traditionally, boarding schools have set visiting days
during the term where learners can be visited by their families and interact
for a day.
However, following the increase in infections within
boarding schools the ministry stopped the visits and has not allowed parents to
visit their children since then.
In 2021 the Government also reduced intakes at boarding
schools as a preventative measure to allow learners to learn and live in a safe
environment where social distancing was possible.
Schools were prohibited from taking additional learners
outside the permissible numbers in a bid to contain the situation.
Cabinet last year opened schools in compliance with the
SOPs of the Prevention and Management of Covid-19 as well as other influenza-like
illnesses.
The SOPs are minimum terms of operation that are set to
ensure schools operate in a safe environment without risking a spike in new
infections.
Handshakes, hugs and sharing of desks were prohibited and
still remain prohibited in schools while classroom occupancy was reduced to 35
learners per classroom to cater for social distancing. Learners have been
sanitising as they enter the premises of their schools and masking up to ensure
there is no spread of the virus.
The ministry has also noted that school opening days have
shifted from Tuesdays to Mondays. Since the coming of the Covid-19 pandemic,
school operations have shifted. Chronicle
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