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Nqobile Tshili

Bulawayo Bureau

Schools will use experiences gained in the past year in the management of Covid-19 when they open for all classes next Monday, Government has said. 

Schools re-opened on Monday for examination classes and non-examination classes are set to reopen on March 22. 

Government last year came up with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) guiding the reopening of schools. 

Part of the measures include reducing the number of learners per class to ensure that there is social distancing in schools. 

Schools are also expected to regularly conduct temperature tests on learners and sanitise hands as well as enforcing mandatory wearing of masks. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema said Government does not expect to have challenges when schools re-open in full as lessons were learnt last year on Covid-19 management in schools. He was responding to legislators in the National Assembly during Wednesday’s question and answer session who wanted to know what Government was doing to ensure learners and teachers are safe at schools. 

“Covid-19 in Zimbabwe and indeed the whole world did not start today; it did not start on the 15th of March, 2021. We have had more than a year, the whole country inclusive of factories, offices and even in this august House, all of us together working to prevent the spread of Covid-19. So, we are using the experience in education that we have had over the past year and we continue with schools being opened using that experience,” he said.