The Sunday News
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) has implored Government to employ more teachers to reduce class sizes and teacher pupil ratio as one of the main pre-conditions to ensure social distancing before schools re-open.
Schools were supposed to open on 5 May for the second term but a new date is still to be announced. In a statement, Zimta said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should put in place measures to ensure there would be social distancing in schools by reducing class sizes.
The teachers’ body said educators were convinced that the Covid-19 situation is not yet under control judging by activities on the ground which could worsen the situation if schools open for the new term.
“The coronavirus pandemic threat is worse as numbers of positive cases are on an upward trend. It is against this backdrop that educators being on the frontline to the provision of quality public education have raised the following concern. The current classrooms are overcrowded, having a teacher-pupil ratio of 1: 70 on average. Government must address the issue of huge class sizes as this is a fertile ground for coronavirus to spread. Government must as a matter of urgency re-organise class sizes during this lockdown so that should attendance and learning commence, class sizes are already reduced, manageable and enabling for social distancing to occur,” Zimta said.
Zimta implored the Government to also give guidance on monitoring of social distancing in learning institutions.
“The ministry must publicise all measures that have been put in place to ensure that learners do not contract the virus when they get to schools on the opening day, this is an urgent matter.”
It advocated for disinfection of communities and establishment of voluntary testing centres at shopping centres and schools countrywide.
Zimta said as far as educators are concerned, some issues should be addressed as conditions for schools to re-open. These include ensuring there is necessary equipment and protection. The educators’ body said arrangements should also be made for learners’ transport and response mechanism in the event that any school is affected in due course.
Information packs should also be produced and supplied to schools to guide pupils on hygiene and other response guidelines.
Zimta said in the obtaining environment, schools cannot be opened before the said conditions are met as that would put pupils and their families at risk, as well as reverse the gains made so far in the fight against Covid-19. – @ncubeleon
