State Media

Government is impressed by the progress made by most private schools in preparing to re-open under Covid-19, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Ambassador Cain Mathema has said.

Minister Mathema said this in an interview after a closed door meeting with the Zimbabwe Independent Private Schools Association. He said the meeting was part of wider consultations that were being carried out by his ministry.

“The private and independent schools initiated the meeting and l was very happy. They came to present how ready they are, their state of preparedness when schools re-open. Some of the schools are even manufacturing face masks and sanitisers,” he said.

The meeting was conducted in the presence of Health and Child Care Ministry officials.

Zimbabwe Independent Private Schools Association chairperson Mrs Salome Mutsinze said the meeting was necessitated by the general consensus on adverse effects on the prolonged closure of schools due to Covid-19.

“The agenda was to appraise the ministry on the degree of preparedness of safe reopening of our member schools in a phased approach starting with examination classes.

“In line with the WHO guidelines on the fight against Covid-19 pandemic some of the highlights on safety procedures and precautions to be enforced include all staff and learners should undergo rapid testing,” she said.

Other measures that schools are supposed to implement are regular fumigation of facilities, temperature tests thrice a day and ensuring there is a response team and isolation facilities in case of suspected cases.

Mrs Mutsinze said the effects of the schools’ closure on pupils are child abuse, child labour, unwanted pregnancies and marriages. Maranatha Group of Schools founder and chief executive Dr Samuel Mudavanhu said as an institution they are more than ready to have their exam classes in place.

“We are more than ready to have our students on campus. We have put all measures in place as recommended by the World Health Organisation and in line with our line Ministry as well as that of Health and Child Care,” he said.

Harvard Junior School Head Loice Magweba said as a day school when it comes to transportation of their learners they will sanitise their buses twice a day.

“We will also have the opportunity to check temperatures when learners and staff are boarding the bus,” she said.

“We are also very conscious to look at the staff and we sourced the PPE’s for them. All staff members are going to be tested of Covid-19 and will undergo training through the Health and Child Care Ministry about how they are supposed to handle suspected cases.”

Knostics Academy head Mr William Mukuwapasi said they will operate according to President Mnangagwa’s proclaimed guidelines.

“I want to reassure every learner and parents that as an academy we are now ready for reopening. We make our own sanitisers, face masks which we can use to allocate to our learners and staff,” he said.