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Mthabisi Tshuma, Chronicle Correspondent
EXAMINATION writing classes are required to attend school daily as Government moves to catch up on lost time due to the closure of schools for the better part of the first term.

Schools were supposed to open on January 4 but Government was forced to defer the opening due to a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Examination writing classes that consist of Grade 7, Form 4 and 6 pupils began classes last Monday while non-examination writing classes opened today.

According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Term One ends on June 4 with the second term commencing on June 28, ending on September 10.

The third term will start on October 4 and end on December 17.

Government has clarified that the greenlight to the alternating approach to learning to limit numbers as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) is only limited to non-examination writing classes.

According to the SOP, classes must not have more than 35 pupils.

In a telephone interview Monday, director of communications and advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr Taungana Ndoro said examination classes will not be alternating.

“As a Ministry we would like to clarify on information doing the rounds in the media and social media that two days schooling has been okayed.

“Firstly, the issue at hand is that examination classes do not alternate and they are expected to attend school every day with the institutions making sure by doing so they also meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) regulations,” said Mr Ndoro.

“For non-examination classes they can alternate if only the school has a huge enrollment or they have a justifiable explanation,” he added.
More to follow. – @mthabisi_mthire