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Blessings Chidakwa Herald Reporter

Lower Sixth classes start today, with boarders having travelled yesterday to their respective schools, following the release of O’Level results last week.

Zimbabwe National Union of School Heads secretary Mr Munyaradzi Majoni yesterday said the schools were ready to start lessons today.

“All preparations were done throughout the country and schools are ready to receive the new learners,” he said.

“From what is on the ground there are no challenges reported.”

Mr Majoni said while the general indication was that “all was well” for the Lower Sixth to start classes, there was a possibility of isolated cases of individual schools that might have encountered unique challenges.

He urged the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) to continue tightening its systems to avoid exam leaks.

“The results are the ones used to select learners for A’Level,” he said. “So, we hope Zimsec has learnt its lessons from last year’s leaked examinations and will correct the anomaly. This ensures the credibility of selecting learners is done properly.”

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had since reminded school authorities and parents that fees, be it tuition or boarding will be paid on a pro-rata basis, which will see the incoming learners pay less than the rest who started classes last month.

“We do not expect any disruptions on reopening and in the learning process,” said spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro.

“Schools must take note that since this group is coming in to join others who started on January 9, their fees will be charged on a pro-rata basis.

“We don’t want our learners idling around aimlessly and falling victim to social ills like initiation into drug abuse. In view of that realisation, we have decided that they resume their studies this Monday.”

Mr Ndoro said the past year or so the school calendar had been disrupted by Covid-19 mitigatory measures, particularly as it relates to face-to-face learning, so the Government opted for an immediate class resumption so as to maximise on learning.

In light of a recent trend where some A-Level learners were taking a lot of subjects, Mr Ndoro said the ministry’s position was that three subjects suffice and in cases where some see the need then they could go for four.

He reminded teachers that paid-for extra-lessons were illegal and those found carrying them out would be charged with criminal abuse of office.

However, in cases where teachers feel the need for extended tutorials, they can have these, but the extra time should include the whole class and should be at no extra cost.