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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has launched a national outreach programme targeting school children who have been affected by the prolonged lockdown.

Due to the prolonged lockdown, some children in examination classes dropped out of schools due to pregnancies and other economic related activities, among others. The Ministry of Primary and Second Education anticipates that many pupils might not return to classes when the rest of pupils resume face-to face lessons on Monday.

Some of the challenges being faced by children revolve around the issue of documentation.

The national outreach programme dubbed “Community Outreach through Service Fairs” is being carried out in all the 10 provinces covering 72 districts.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs Tumisang Thabela yesterday led the campaign in Matobo district in Matabeleland South province. The team visited selected rural business centres surrounding Maphisa.

In an interview, Mrs Thabela said during the campaign it emerged that some local boys of school going age had resorted to illegal gold panning while girls had fallen pregnant during the prolonged school break.

“This is a national programme, which we have code named Community Outreach through Service Fairs. It is like a trade fair for everyone who has something to do with education telling us the services that they offer. We are moving around the country’s 10 provinces covering 72 districts trying to talk to our communities and getting their feedback on issues affecting children,” she said.

“We have adopted the concept of roadshows mainly because we cannot gather people because of Covid-19 and we hope on Monday we will be able to recover quite a number of our children back to our schools.”-@mashnets