The Ministry of General Education says no pupil has tested positive for Covid-19 from the time schools reopened for examination classes on June 1st, 2020.
General Education Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Jobbicks Kalumba disclosed this in Lusaka today ahead of schools’ scheduled closing this Friday.
Dr Kalumba said the ministry is happy that pupils have been kept safe because there was anxiety from parents when government announced the reopening of schools for examination classes.
He has commended the teachers for ensuring that pupils adhered to the covid-19 preventive measures as guided by the Ministry of Health.
Dr. Kalumba also said schools will remain safe for learners when they reopen after a two-week break.
Meanwhile, Zambia National Union of Teachers -ZNUT- General Secretary Newman Bubala said the covid-19 situation has been handled well in schools as government ensured pupils were provided with masks.
Mr. Bubala said government and other stakeholders need to pick lessons on how the situation has been managed to consider how non examination classes could be integrated.
Because you havent tested any
You have never tested them how can them be positive.
Exactly, how many have been tested?
Besides, what’s the point? That pupils are somehow not a risk factor in spreading the virus and bringing it home to families? Does the PS mean that parents and grandparents including those with pre-existing medical conditions such as HIV, diabetes, heart disease, sickle cell, and others should not worry because… what… because no single pupil has so far TESTED positive? We know full well children can spread the virus!
Children need education but this kind of misguided thinking from the PS is more the problem not the solution.
closure and opening of schools entails mass movements of humans from one place to another, this is something we should avoid amidst covid pandemic. these students should have been kept at schools especially boarding till after writing their exams in December.
Two weeks ago a pupil at Saint Mary’s in Lusaka tested positive
Isula ama sukulu yonse kanshi.
Open non-examination classes kaili. You have stressed us too much as parents. Our kids feel bored at home. We dont want unwanted pregnancies
The best to do as at now is to let all the grades return to school because even at home they still mingle with their friends with less or no control while at school they will be controlled by their teachers and other leaders in school. Then schools with over crowed classroom can reduce the number of lessons so that they can split the classes into two so that they can maintain physical distance I class in some schools pupils can even have certain lessons outside our the other group is inside more especially options. As far as am concerned I see no reason for not letting all the grades return to school.
Another simple method that can be used is to put the pupils in groups then teacher them for certain number of hours and then let me do their seatwork at home then the following day mark…