The Sunday Mail
Harmony Agere and Veronica Gwaze
Resolving the conundrum of either reopening schools or scrapping this year’s academic calendar is one of the most difficult decisions the Government will have to make.
Coronavirus, which is wreaking havoc across the world, has so far chewed six weeks from the local school calendar.
Schools were scheduled to open on May 5 for the second term, but they remain shut and anxiety is slowly creeping in.
However, examination classes — Grade 7, Form Four and Six — will resume lessons soon under a phased plan unveiled by the Government.
The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) announced last week that exams will begin on June 30 and end on July 23.
But is it possible to adequately prepare candidates for examinations, considering the time that has been lost?
“Every human being has a concentration spun and at a certain point it lapses which is why we have school holidays — it is so that they release pressure and reboot for next term.
“Having to overload them (learners) with all the information they should have covered in time for the examinations will give us nothing but disaster,” warned educationist and University of Zimbabwe (UZ) lecturer Dr Peter Kwaira.
“Both learners and teachers need time to prepare.”
“A lockdown is different from a school holiday where children refresh and prepare themselves for the next term. So they need time to acclimatise.
“Having examinations at this time could be a recipe for disaster. Apart from fears that pass rates could decline massively, do we have the capacity to ensure safety in all schools?”
Dr Kwaira, however, believes that reopening schools in phases is a good idea.
It is envisaged that the phased approach will involve re-evaluating the process and progressively improving it to ensure safety for learners.
Insufficient
There is another glaring problem: by the time the final exam is written on July 23, only 14 days (two weeks) would be left of the second term.
It is largely believed that it would be improbable, if not impossible, for teachers and learners to make up for the lost time.
It simply means that if lessons were to resume after August, which normally heralds the beginning of the third school term, learners will have to take in double the usual material.
Considering that the first term was cut short by one week, this would be tougher.
The only other alternative would be scrapping this year’s academic calendar.
It is not that simple.
If non-examination classes do not return to school, this will present a nightmarish logistical problem for planners.
Will learners retake their classes?
And what would happen to the examination classes that would have graduated from Grade 7 and Form Four?
Were these situations going to play out next year (2021), there would be no Grade 7, Form Four and Form Six, which would be unprecedented in the country’s history.
Another area of concern is the Grade 7 exam class . . . what will happen to them when they want to enrol for Form One?
The country always struggles to accommodate Form One students in schools every year due to a high number of applicants.
It is, therefore, not surprising that Government, learners, parents, teachers — almost everyone — is grappling with deciding how and when schools will be reopened, particularly as the present danger posed by Covid-19 is still lurking.
Confirmed cases continue to rise. The cases as of Friday had risen to 265.
Although online classes have been mulled, the expenses, logistics and limitations in ensuring universal coverage make it difficult to implement.
Some parents believe that the sanctity of life takes precedence over everything else as dead learners do not attend school.
Mrs Viola Matenga, whose son is at Macheke Primary School, said: “This is a tricky situation that we find ourselves in. I cannot let my son go to school under current circumstances.
“I would rather have him miss this year until things normalise rather than expose him to potential harm that could result in his death.”
Other parents disagree and are willing to take chances.
“It is all up to the Almighty. Whether my child goes to school or not, he can still contract Covid-19.
“As it stands, they are not going to school but he is always in the company of his schoolmates here at home,” said Marondera-based Mr Mathew Munacho, whose child is enrolled at Wenimbi Primary School.
Tendai Mazana’s daughter is supposed to sit for her Advanced Level at Kwenda High School this year, and she says she would not risk it.
“At home we try to make sure they are safe but at school, we are not sure how safe they will be . . . I will not risk it.”
Form One learner Anotida Chigwedere of Dzivaresekwa High 2 said it was now boring to sit around at home.
“At first it was fun being at home but now I miss school. It’s not always easy dealing with teachers and getting homework everyday but now I want to do something challenging,” she said.
Disaster
The current conundrum is not peculiar to Zimbabwe.
Other countries are struggling as well.
South Africa recently made a decision for schools to open on June 1, but most learning institutions and teachers’ unions are scared.
Similarly, in England, thousands of primary schools have decided to forgo resuming classes.
Some teachers’ unions, parents and other pressure groups are calling for the 2020 school calendar to be scrapped.
“It will not be anything new to have the calendar revised . . . everything should resume in January 2021 if we are to maintain our educational standards,” said Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) secretary-general Tapson Sibanda.
“Right now we have no capacity, hence no need to rush back to schools where security is not guaranteed.
“The move puts teachers on the frontline. Most schools are not capacitated to secure personal protective equipment (PPE), thereby placing lives in danger.”
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou says safety comes first.
“Over 400 000 learners and more than 130 teachers are set to go back to school for the June examinations,” he said.
“We need to ensure safety, welfare and health of the teachers is guaranteed in all schools.”
Determined
Government is, however, determined.
With almost two-and-a-half months since learners last attended classes due to the Covid-19 scourge, Government opines that a phased approach to reopening would enable a smoother start.
“We have already stated our position to say we are going to open in five stages,” said Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Ambassador Cain Mathema.
“The first Phase is that of examination classes and we have laid out preventive measures for this period. There should not be any worries of classes clashing because the staged opening will ensure that everyone has had time to catch up with their work.”
Workers’ welfare
Zimbabwe Schools Development Associations and Committees (SDA/Cs) secretary-general Mr Everisto Jongwe, however, has a different view altogether.
He worries about the welfare of workers employed by SDA/Cs.
“We are still paying our workers full salaries but like everyone else, it is beginning to get difficult for us,” he said.
“Going forward, we may be obliged to start paying half because schools are closed and parents are not paying fees.
“Our coffers are running dry and it is getting difficult for schools, but it is Government policy, we have to oblige.
“We have 8 000 schools with an average of five workers for day schools and between 15 and 30 for boarding schools.”
Government hopes the Phase One reopening for examination classes will be a rationale and not emotional decision, that will steer the middle course and provide a win-win result for everyone.
