HARARE – The government has announced that the opening of schools will remain postponed indefinitely, dismissing a fake letter circulating online saying learners will resume classes on February 23.
The first semester for the schools was due to start on January 4, but a rise in Covid-19 infections forced the plan to stall.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education wishes to alert the public that a circular on social media regarding the school calendar is false,” the ministry said in a statement.
“The public is invited to disregard the circular. Schools will remain closed pending an official announcement through government structures and channels.
“Meanwhile, the ministry continues to explore alternative online teaching and learning platforms and other non-face-to-face open distance mediums,” the statement said.
A strict nationwide lockdown was imposed late last month in an attempt to slow the respiratory disease. Teachers have demanded that schools only open after the government provides them and students with adequate personal protective equipment to protect themselves, arguing that anything else puts them at risk.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to ease the lockdown over the coming week as the country begins vaccinating frontline workers and vulnerable groups with China’s Sinopharm vaccine, which will arrive in Harare on Monday.
The country’s health ministry said on Friday that school staff would also be given priority. This is included in a vaccination framework published by the ministry.
