Primary and Secondary Education minister, Dr Lazarus Dokora yesterday warned private schools that they should not close schools without proper communication from government.
He was speaking after meeting Association of Trust Schools (ATS) leaders where he underscored the need for private schools to respect the government school calendar.
He said that schools must to stop neglect social media messages that encourage pupils to stay away.
“It has come to our attention that some schools, particularly those that fall under Associated of Trust Association (ATS) turned away pupils on the basis that there would be no learning on Wednesday 13 July.
“Such schools acted in response to unfounded information circulating on social media. The ministry held a meeting where it categorically stated that any deviation to the learning calendar other than what the Ministry has prescribed is not tolerated,” said Dr Dokora.
He however said that ATS members who turned away pupils apologized for their act.
Dr Dokora said the meeting with ATS representatives resolved that all responsible authorities were to liaise with the Ministry on issues to do with teaching and learning.
He added that channels for communicating professional matters were to be followed and that members were to desist from instilling fear among learners in an effort to scare them away from attending classes.
Dr Dokora assured parents and guardians that schools will continue as usual without any disturbances.
