HARARE – Zimbabwe will open schools for the first semester in two phases from March 15-22 following a recent drop in Covid-19 cases, state authorities have announced.
Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa announced the development on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting.
“Teachers in exam classes are due to report for work on March 10 and the rest of the teachers on March 17,” Mutsvangwa said.
Examinations classes that is Grade 7, Form 4 and Upper Sixth will open first on March 15, before all other grades follow a week later.
“In classes where learners cannot practice social distancing, there should be rotating school visits. On days when children are not in school, learners would be engaged through strategies such as open distance learning and e-learning. The corresponding modules are already in production,” she said.
President Mnangagwa this week announced a relaxed coronavirus lockdown and a nighttime curfew imposed in January, allowing businesses to fully reopen after the rate of new infections has slowed over the past two weeks.
In January, the country saw an increase in positive cases, forcing the government to close or restrict most businesses and restrict the movement of people.
The schools, which closed in mid-December, had not reopened since the first semester. Mutsvangwa said that due to widespread disruption in schools over the past year, “all current classes will start working in 2020”.
She said the program had been “condensed to allow for expedited reporting”.
