The ManicaPost
The Covid-19 pandemic has seen many countries, Zimbabwe included, closing schools, colleges and universities. Policy makers are facing the dilemma of having to close the institutions to save lives while also preserving the education sector.
To that end, Government had set July 28 for the phased re-opening of schools.
However, as the country’s cases continue to increase, including local transmissions, schools’ reopening has been deferred to a later date.
Once again home schooling is the option that parents and their children are being encouraged to adopt.
Unfortunately, many are yet to adjust to this way of living and the home schooling concept appears to be impacting on parents’ productivity as well as the students’ social life and learning.
To find out how some of the school authorities are coping with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, our News Editor Cletus Mushanawani (CM) interviewed the Roman Catholic Church’s Mutare Diocese education secretary, Mr Lawrence Chibvuri (LC).
Below are excerpts from the interview:
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CM: Government had set July 28 for the re-opening of schools for examination classes. While this has been deferred in light of the rising number of confirmed Covid-19 cases, what are you doing to prepare for a conducive learning environment when schools finally open?
LC: Roman Catholic Mutare Diocese has the highest number of schools owned by a church in Manicaland Province. It also has the highest number of church-run schools nationally.
In total, Mutare Diocese has 55 schools which are as follows – 31 secondary schools, including 10 boarding schools; 24 primary schools, including two boarding schools. In Mutare urban alone, the diocese has six schools, while in Rusape urban it has two schools.
This means a lot of work for us in terms of preparing for the re-opening of schools. A lot of work needs to be done to ensure that everything is in place and we have a long way to go as we have only managed to make some face masks so far.
CM: Schools were closed in March and no funds are being collected during this period. How far have you gone in ensuring the availability of PPEs for learners, teachers and supporting staff when schools open?
LC: As you correctly note, schools’ revenues continue to be locked down. But despite that, preparations have to be made. That is the dilemma faced by school authorities.
However, the church’s education commission managed to mobilise cloth from Youth Alive and engaged 16 teachers from all six Catholic schools in Mutare urban to help in the manufacturing of face masks.
The job is now complete and 14 666 face masks will be distributed among 33 Catholic schools, mostly rural, across the province.
Each child from each of the 33 schools will get one face mask.
The education commission is appealing to other well-wishers to come on board and help in sourcing sanitisers, disinfectants, liquid soap, water buckets and thermometers.
CM: Teachers will now be the new front-line workers to ensure the safety of children. Have they been adequately trained for that? What can you recommend to ensure that Covid-19 cases will not spike when schools eventually re-open?
LC: The general notion has been that health workers are the only front-line workers.
While that is true for now, if schools open, teachers and ancillary staff will assume the role of primary front-line workers.
Therefore, the Ministry of Health and Child Care must partner the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to train teachers.
If this is adequately and effectively done, health personnel will have less work.
My recommendation to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is that they should provide funds for schools so that they can make PPE.
It is better for them to provide the capital and monitor progress.
However, not all schools have sewing machines and skilled teachers.
CM: What are you doing to ensure that your boarding and dining facilities are Covid-19 compliant? I understand that you will need new buildings, equipment and furniture to accommodate all the boarding students?
LC: While meal times can be staggered, or alternative dining sites be established in a school set-up to de-congest dining halls, it is not going to be easy on the hostels. These can’t be built overnight. That is the Catch 22 situation which calls for collaborative effort between the church and Government.
CM: Some institutions are already charging foreign currency for levies. Are you considering to adopt a two-tier pricing regime?
LC: Almost all goods and services are being charged in United States dollars. However, we are still charging in local currency. But since almost everyone is chasing the USD, it is possible for us to formally request for Government approval to charge in USD.
Please note that schools have to wait for Government approval to collect foreign currency.
CM: Over the years, mission schools owned by the Roman Catholic Church have done so well in delivering quality results. What are they doing to ensure that they maintain these standards in the ‘new normal’?
LC: We will continue soldering on and ensure that our schools remain on the top. Our schools, especially here in Manicaland, are a brand and most parents want to have their children enrolled there. Enrolment at our boarding schools is always at 100 percent and the same applies to primary schools, even those in rural areas.
It is not easy to be on top, but the same excellent personnel and working culture exists in our schools and longs to execute duty.
Online lessons are generally segregative by virtue of the costs involved. Data is expensive and our students might not be getting enough through them.
CM: All institutions are being encouraged to de-congest their respective environments. What plans are in place to increase the number of schools in the Diocese?
LC: The need for new schools is high, but the costs are prohibitive. While we want more schools to be built, our efforts are being hampered by lack of resources. We do not want to commit ourselves to many projects, which will be difficult for us to complete.
We are just biting what we can chew and we will continue complementing Government in providing quality education to Zimbabweans.
Therefore we are spreading to all the corners of the province. Plans were afoot to increase the number of schools in the Diocese, with St Gabriel Primary School in Nyanga expected to have its first enrolment in 2021.
CM: What progress has been made in reconstructing St Charles Lwanga Secondary School in Chimanimani, which was badly damaged by Cyclone Idai in 2019?
LC: The old St Charles Secondary School is now running as a day school. Construction of the St Charles Lwanga College is expected to commence shortly. Site works have begun and the access road was recently repaired.
