Machenjera Peter – PTUZ Secretary for Information and Publicity
News filtering into the public domain from government corridors point to reopening of schools very soon. Ministry officials also claim that the schools are getting ready for this reopening of schools. Whether schools are ready or not, is a story for another day.
Today let’s shift our gaze to a special group of learners who are supposed to sit for their final exams this year. The last time this group of learners, among others had direct and meaningful interaction with teachers was in March 2020. Never mind the phased term which was marred with teacher incapacitation and was just as good as a non event. These learners were in grade six, form three and form five in 2020 and government has declared that come hail or thunder, these learners are going to write their public exams this year. This prompts one to ask if this is really possible this year. Is the government sincere on this is issue?
It’s almost a year now without proper learning taking place in schools. Considering that a human mind has the propensity to delete automatically any dormant files, it means that when schools reopen, most concept taught before 2020 have since been forgotten. Take for example a form five student who had only three weeks of proper learning during the first term of 2020 is now expected to proceed to form six when schools reopen. Will that student be able to comprehend the components of the syllabi in order to sit for the exams in November? The same goes for the grade 6s and form 3s who are supposed to proceed to the next level. Is the government trying to prove to the whole world that the Advanced level syllabi can be completed in less than one year or the ordinary level ones in three years?
Peter Machenjera- ZPTU Secretary for Information and Publicity
What is also worrisome is that the most affected learners are those in the poor rural areas and the high density suburbs in urban areas (former colonial African townships). These can’t afford the online lessons or don’t have access to the purportedly radio or TV lessons or can’t afford the high cost of data bundles. This technology gap has relegated these poor communities to the receiving end. The education system is fast degerating into being elitist whereby those from the affluent societies continue to do well, just like during the colonial era.
To make matters worse, the government seems not to be bothered by the poor working conditions and remuneration of the very teachers who are supposed to cover up for the lost time so that these current candidates can do better. So who is fooling who here?
Teachers are expecting the government to restore the purchasing power of their salaries. They don’t mind where the government should get the money from, even if it means exporting sewage.
Is it too late to make wise decisions that can save this generation? Is it not noble for 2020 classes to be maintained and then write their exams in 2022 after making sure that they have been adequately prepared? Look at the parliamentarians who are now calling for the rewriting of grade seven results after ignoring professional advice from progressive teachers’representatives such as PTUZ. Yes, the 2020 classes may proceed when schools reopen but is it a matter of ticking boxes. Government should show some modicum of reasoning not these guerrilla tactics that we are witnessing, lest we will blame the sanctions again when the 2021 results come out.
Machenjera Peter
PTUZ Secretary for Information and Publicity
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