The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube and Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Sunday News Reporters
SCHOOLchildren and teachers who tested positive for Covid-19 during the just ended third term and had not recovered by the time schools closed on Friday are likely to spend Christmas in isolation at their schools until they are cleared by health officials, Sunday News can reveal.
This comes as the Roman Catholic-run Minda Girls High at Maphisa Growth Point in Matobo District, Matabeleland South Province is the latest school to report multiple cases, after 20 pupils tested positive for the pandemic with the school directing that learners who test positive will remain at the school beyond the closing date.
Schools closed for the third term last Friday and while some parents were uniting with their children and getting prepared for the festive season, pupils who are still positive were told to remain isolated at the learning institutions, especially boarding schools.
To date the country’s schools have recorded 558 Covid-19 cases with the hardest hit being John Tallach High in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North Province where more than 180 cases were reported.
However, most of the school pupils have recovered.
In an interview with Sunday News, director of communications in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr Taungana Ndoro said those who tested positive will remain at their schools or at home as per the direction of the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
“Those who tested positive and still on mandatory isolation will remain under the direction of the Ministry of Health and Child Care until cleared. This may be at the school or at their homes depending on the Ministry of Health (and Child Care)’s direction,” said Mr Ndoro.
He said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has already put in place mechanisms to cater for those that tested positive noting that their aim was not to expose the community and contain the spread of the pandemic.
“In all this, we are closely working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care authorities and they have been giving us the much required guidance to help contain the spread of the pandemic within our schools.
“It is important to note that there are set protocols to follow when someone tests positive for the pandemic and their implementation is guided by health officials and one of these is the issue of isolation from society,” said Mr Ndoro.
At Minda High School authorities have revealed that pupils who tested positive will stay at the school for a further week, which was when their mandatory isolation period is expected to end.
In a message sent to parents on Friday, the school’s head, Mr Norcan Nyamambi, said they were working with health authorities to contain the pandemic and also ensure the affected pupils remained on quarantine.
“We shall continue to give you updates as we get full guidance from the relevant authorities. Parents and guardians of affected learners will be contacted individually,” reads part of the message.
Last Tuesday, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, revealed that Government was putting in place mechanisms at schools ahead of the festive season break.
The minister was speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Child Care continue to strengthen infection, prevention and control strategies in schools as they prepare to break for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
“Cumulatively, 558 cases have been reported at learning institutions across the country,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary has said schools must continue to cap the coming term fees at $25 000 as the ministry has not approved any new fees increase.
Mr Ndoro said schools should charge fees that were approved in September when schools opened for this year’s third term.
“As of now there are no new fees structures that have been approved by Government. The schools will continue to use the fees structure that were approved when the schools opened in September. All schools must not peg their fees beyond $25 000. All our provinces have been authorised to approve all fees structures that do not exceed $25 000.
Any schools intending to raise their fees to beyond $25 000 will have to approach the head office for approval,” he said.
There have reports that some boarding schools have also indicated that they will reduce intake for Form One next year to reduce congestion.
As part of efforts to reduce spread of Covid-19, the Government recommended class sizes be reduced.
Unlike day schools where schools were directed to stagger attendance of pupils, boarding schools were forced to stick with all their pupils at the same time since they could not send them home.
Mr Ndoro said some of the schools in the country, mostly boarding, should also implement measures to decongest their hostels and dormitories so as to comply with the ministry’s Standard Operation Procedures.
