"Govt Redoubles Efforts To Ready Schools For Reopening"
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, working in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, is inspecting schools across the country to ensure they are compliant with COVID-19 control protocols before the date for the resumption of classes is announced.
The nationwide inspection of schools includes private and mission schools and is meant to ascertain if adequate measures, informed by World Health Organisation guidelines are in place.
Speaking after Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said:
Assessments on the state of preparedness for the safe re-opening of schools are ongoing across all provinces.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has redoubled efforts towards the targeted provision of tents, additional furniture, reliable water sources, ablution facilities, and the de-congestion of teacher accommodation. Testing for COVID-19 is also being escalated in communities.
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has however cautioned against rushing to reopen schools without ensuring the safety of learners and pupils.
The PTUZ on Tuesday said schools should be reopened after mid-September to allow more teachers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and also the high temperatures would have by then lowered coronavirus cases.
