Dr Zhou Reacts To Government School Resumption Plan

By Branton Matondo

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe top brass has commented on school resumption by the government following the full cabinet briefing by Minister of Information Monica Mutsvangwa on the 6th of July 2021.

Mutsvangwa touched on possible plans projected to envisage school resumption, PTUZ president Dr Takavafira Zhou defined the move as partial citing the fact that government was not, in the first place, able to cater for teacher student safety.

“The simple fact is that schools cannot open any time soon given the quantum leap of covid cases throughout the country.

“Schools can only open from mid August or even end of August when winter would have weaned,” said Zhou.

While addressing the national media panel, Minister Mutsvangwa said that government is going to carry out covid 19 infection, prevention and control training workshops for teaching and non teaching stuff.

The national leader of media fraternity also raised an issue of inspection visits to assess the state of preparedness at all boarding schools, high enrolment day schools and schools with very limited infrastructure.

Dr Zhou described such moves by government as a partial response to teacher and student capacity.

“Government has no capacity to avert escalation of covid cases in schools. Above all institutions of higher learning have all closed because of covid cases. It would be suicidal to try to open schools any time soon,” he added.

An interaction with National Secretary General of Amalgamated Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) Robson Chere revealed that government response this time is partial.

Chere remarked that in as much as government is trying to curb covid 19 hampering, it should also seek to modify avenues of capacitating.

“In as much as government is trying to guarantee safety, it should also fix slave salaries that continue to hamper teacher purchasing power parity,” said Chere.

Cabinet briefing also touched on other factors like funeral processions, civil servants allocation, lockdown level four measures and lockdown violations.

As the government prepares to kick start school resumption program, Kwekwe, Kariba, Chinhoyi, Marondera, Murehwa, Bulawayo, Chiredzi and Nkulumane are some of the places around Zimbabwe to be recorded as hotspots.