By Dr Takavafira Zhou| The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon Matema; perm sec, Tabela, and serial liar, Ndoro must be reminded that they cannot successfully run the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education through propaganda.
We gave them professional advice that schools were ill-prepared for re-opening and they were adamant that they were fully prepared. One wonders where the more than $600 million has gone, let alone the other $150 million released by gvt as it is clear that it never filtered to schools.
Whereas we now have over 650 of confirmed covid 19 cases, the Ministry’s conservative figure is still at 330. Several pupils and teachers are being infected on a daily basis as schools have no covid 19 abatement equipment, have no adequate infrastructure, personnel and textbooks to ensure social distance. Most hostels in boarding schools are overcrowded while bloated classes are the order of the day.
In all the most affected schools, be it John Tallach, Matopos High, Goromonzi High, Anderson Adventist, Waddilove, Dadaya etc, the Ministry has been found wanting and virtually useless in alleviating the plight of students and teachers.
A case in point is that of Dadaya High in Zvishavane, a school with more than 1000 pupils. The Ministry could only afford to source 47 testing kits. As such only 47 (13 Staff members and 34 students) were tested. It is therefore important to state that the cumulative positive cases that stand at 32 according to ZBC and 29 (25 students and 4 members of staff according to some health officials) must be fully comprehended as a tip of the iceberg. With testing of more pupils and teachers after acquiring more test kits, the result would be worse. At any rate, many students who were not tested have mild and moderate symptoms that resonate with covid.
Ministry officials did not only reject professional advice given by teacher unions but have also not taken seriously Ministry of Health recommendations. They have not come clear on how invigilators can man exams of positive cases without protective gear, let alone handle their scripts, and mark contaminated scripts.
The Ministry officials owe pupils and teachers in particular, and the nation in general, an apology. The constant peddling of lies and propaganda by Ndoro in particular, was dangerous and tantamount to academic terrorism. With many teachers and pupils now infected, Ministry officials have gradually become conspicuous by their silence thereby leaving school administrators, teachers and parents pondering over how best to navigate across the covid 19 infection. To those who were quick to blame us, it doesnt matter, history has absolved us.
Venceremos
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)