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Mashudu Netsianda and Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporters
GOVERNMENT has amended this year’s school calendar with schools across the country set to close on December 17 and open on January 11 next year.

The resumption of face-to-face classes follows a thorough exercise by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Health and Child Care to ensure a safe return to the standard teaching in classrooms.
Schools were scheduled to reopen on June 28 for the second term but due to a spike in Covid-19 infections, Government was forced to postpone face-to-face learning.

In the amended calendar, schools will reopen in a phased approach with the three examination classes (Upper Six, Form Four and Grade Seven) commencing on August 30 and the remaining ones resuming on September 6.

The reopening of schools for the second term has now been set with a total of 80 teaching days and 24 vacation days.

This year, children will have only 139 school days.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s director of communications and advocacy Mr Taungana Ndoro yesterday confirmed the development.

He however, said in terms of examination dates, the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) was yet to make an announcement.

“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has published an amended schools’ calendar, which will see the final face-to-face session of schools ending on December 17 and the 2022 first term beginning on Tuesday, January 11. As for the examinations, Zimsec, which falls under our ministry will make an announcement giving direction on the way forward,” said Mr Ndoro.

He said all is set for the reopening of schools with teams from the ministry’s head office including provincial and district offices conducting monitoring visits to assess the state of preparedness of schools ahead of opening.

“Our teams are visiting schools to monitor the state of preparedness since schools will be reopening on Monday, August 30 for examination classes and September 6 for the rest of classes,” said Mr Ndoro.

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials, working in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, had to check that the measures, informed by World Health Organisation guidelines, were in place.

Under the protocols, classes must be smaller with more teachers being employed to allow this.

Last month, Government sent inspectors to schools across the country to assess their readiness to reopen and has set aside $368,2 million to fund the enforcement of Level 4 Lockdown measures.

In her post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Government noted with satisfaction progress made in the implementation of the joint operational plan of the standard guidelines by the Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education and Health and Child Care for the co-ordinated prevention and management of Covid-19 at schools.

The minister said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education also met with teacher organisations and deliberated on the safe reopening of schools, among other issues.

Meanwhile, parents who spoke to Chronicle yesterday asked the Government to give them a grace period for them to pay school fees as they have been affected by the lockdown measures.

Ms Elizabeth Dube said  she was not ready and pleaded with Government to give parents time to pay school fees.

“To be honest, I’m not ready for schools to be open. I have no money to pay fees and during lockdown I’ve been trying to make ends meet as I was at home. We’d like for our children to learn and the only thing is perhaps the Government comes in and helps us, maybe by giving us an extension to pay fees or telling us not to pay fees at all,” said Ms Dube.

Mr Isaac Mpofu said schools reopening was long overdue.

“We have children who’ve been sitting at home and not learning. Some of our children are in Form Four and remember last year the Form Threes didn’t finish the syllabus,” said Mr Mpofu.

A woman, who only identified herself as Mai Marjory said she welcomed the opening of schools so that her child could start face-to-face learning.

“Well, for me the opening of schools is a good thing as children have been staying at home and not learning. Mine is in Grade Two and couldn’t access online learning or learning through radio and television programmes. Last year she didn’t learn and this year it was the same,” she said.

School apparel shops realised slow business following the announcement of schools reopening.

Government has for the past  months urged parents to prepare for the opening of schools. — Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi.