By A Correspondent- Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa told parents and guardians of learners to prepare for the reopening of schools.

Schools were set to reopen on the 28th of June for the second term but authorities deferred reopening and face-to-face learning twice due to the third wave of the coronavirus that is wreaking havoc.

This was the second time this year for the government to postpone the reopening of schools as it did the same in January after COVID-19 cases increased.

It is likely that reopening will be postponed further considering that Cabinet extended further the level 4 lockdown measures and also given that new coronavirus cases and deaths are still high.

Speaking during a post-cabinet media briefing in Harare on Tuesday, the minister urged parents and guardians to complement the government in curbing the spread of the coronavirus. She said:

As the nation prepares for the reopening of schools, parents and guardians are expected to complement Government efforts to provide Personal Protective Equipment, sanitisers and other essential requirements for learners.

Stakeholders, including teachers’ unions, are urging the government to delay reopening until coronavirus cases have subsided and until schools have put adequate preventive measures in place.

They cite the outbreak of coronavirus in some schools and the deaths of some educators as the reason why there should be no rush in reopening schools.

Some schools were this year forced to close prematurely after hundreds of learners and teachers had contracted the virus.

-newsday