Forty-nine of the nine thousand six hundred and twenty-five schools have reported COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe. From all the forty-nine schools, there are no casualties reported to date. This was revealed by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education ambassador Cain Mathema in his Christmas message on Thursday.
Full Statement Below
17 DECEMBER, 2020
As the school calendar year draws to a holiday pause before its close on 18 December 2020, I take great pleasure in sending out my heartiest good wishes to the Deputy Minister Honourable Edgar Moyo, the Permanent Secretary Mrs Tumisang Thabela, the Chief Directors, Head Office Directors, Provincial Education Directors, Deputy Directors/District Schools Inspectors, Schools Inspectors, Heads of Schools, Teachers, ancillary staff, our Education partners, Responsible Authorities, School Parent bodies, our students and through all of you, to all the personal and official family of the Education Sector.
It has been a challenging year with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still among us today, after sending all schools into lockdown for at least six months from 24 March 2020. However, I must hasten to applaud that together, we have managed to ride the waves in ensuring that learning and teaching continues in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic by successfully holding the June 2020 ZIMSEC examinations, reopening schools through the Phased school calendar, management of the Cambridge examinations without a report of COVID-19, containment and management of COVID-19 cases in 49 of the 9625 schools with no casualty reported to date, conducting the ZIMSEC examinations for Grade 7, Form 4 and Form 6 without discriminating those that tested positive for COVID-19, carrying out innovative alternative teaching and learning strategies, catch-up learning and teaching programmes to cover lost learning and teaching time during the lockdown and the establishment of an alternative schooling timetable to cater for infrastructure deficiencies in order to effect social distancing for the prevention and management of COVID-19.
I am pleased about these several milestones our Ministry, in collaboration with sister Ministries and our partners and stakeholders, has achieved to overcome challenges that beset us: ranging from COVID-19 infections in some schools, challenges to do with PPEs to issues around the conditions of service of teachers. Indeed, your cooperation with the Ministry has made these recent months of our association a source of great satisfaction and encouragement to me in this important period of our country’s educational development.
In offering my appreciation and best greetings for Christmas and the New Year, I look forward to continuing mutual cooperation in 2021. I also want to remind our learners that as they go into their communities, they should be vigilant to stay safe and prevent infection from COVID-19 as the school opening day on 4 January 2021 beckons. It has been fantastic working with all the constructive and progressive players in the Education Sector in 2020 and I hope together we can continue providing quality, relevant, equitable, inclusive and wholesome education for all Zimbabweans
Finally, let me applaud His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Emmerson DambudzoMnangagwa for the guidance and direction he continues to provide my Ministry for the socio-economic development of the nation.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy and safe holiday season.
Sincerely,
HON. AMBASSADOR N. C. G. MATHEMA
MINISTER OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
