Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa said the government is working on the modalities for the safe reopening of schools given the recent success in governments Covid-19 response strategy.
Mutsvangwa made the remarks during yesterday’s post cabinet press briefing.
“Regarding primary and secondary education, the responsible Ministry continues to work with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to prepare for the inevitable re-opening of schools.
“The training of school health coordinators and the assessment of the schools’ preparations for the resumption of learning is ongoing. Government is doing its best to ensure that adequate precautionary measures are taken before schools are opened,” said Mutsvagwa.
Meanwhile, the government has pledged to ensure that all students who sat for the 2020 Grade Seven examinations find a place in secondary school despite results obtained.
The latest development comes after Parliamentarians this Tuesday spoke on some of the factors that might have led to the poor pass rate, imploring the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to enhance e-learning in rural schools in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In response, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Cain Mathema indicated that government is working towards the improvement of ICT learning countrywide.
“My Ministry is working with the Ministry of ICT and that of Energy to ensure that there is improved ICT learning in Zimbabwe,” he said.
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Priscilla Misihairambwi Mushonga raised concern over students who are failing to secure form one places.
“What interventions are being put in place to ensure that those who failed grade seven exams will proceed to Form 1? What will happen to students who are not being responded to?”
Mathema assured the national that no child will fail to proceed to secondary school.
“Every child deserves to go to form 1. No child should be disadvantaged even if they failed their grade seven exams,” said Mathema.
The 2020 grade seven results were released early this month with a national pass rate of 37.11 percent, as compared to 46,9 percent in 2019.
The 9.79 percent decrease was attributed to effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
