By Dr Takavafira Zhou
We want to make it categorically clear as Ptuz that any suggestions to gvt to open schools when covid pandemic is ravaging is unfortunate, ill-conceived and suicidal. Teachers and pupils are not immune to covid 19 pandemic.
At a time when gvt officials are decimated by covid 19, it is foolhardy to imagine that gvt can protect teachers and pupils. Gvt has shown no interest to buy testing kits in order to test all the 136 000 teachers and almost 5 million learners.
The best that teachers and Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education can do under such an environment is to find reasonable pedagogical methods to help pupils while they are in their homes. Such methods must be accessible to all students and gvt must be prepared to invest in such methods. Class whatsApp groups for primary schools and subject whatsApp groups for secondary students could be useful, if gvt is forthcoming in providing data bundles to teachers, and parents are forthcoming in allowing their children to use their phones for educational purposes. Of course there are poor families without smartphones and gvt can appeal to UNICEF and other organisations to donate such gadgets. The radio and television lessons that gvt is closeted with has limited applicability in a country where more than 70% of rural areas have no radio and television frequencies.
Teachers will resist any attempts to open schools at a time when their welfare is not considered, let alone their health and safety. We will not allow a situation where teachers and pupils are taken as if they are of no account in Zimbabwe. Teachers and pupils’ lives matter.
Venceremos
Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)
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