The ManicaPost
Freedom Mutanda
Post Correspondent
AS the opening of schools has been postponed for another fortnight, pupils in rural areas feel the pinch as most of them are unable to participate in online learning.
This is mostly due to various reasons, including lack of access to smart phones, high costs of data, unavailability of network and limited access to television and radio education programmes.
Notwithstanding the above challenges, the pupils will still sit for their examinations come November or December.
Last week, school heads from various parts of the country, Manicaland included, made a beeline at the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) offices in their provincial capitals to hand in information about the candidature at their respective schools, a confirmation that examination time will definitely come.
Desperate parents have resorted to pleading with teachers to teach their children in backyard shacks.
At times, teachers concede due to the temptation of making an extra dollar, but the possibility of contracting Covid-19 looms large.
Zimbabwe, just like any other country in the world, has had its education system disrupted by the pandemic.
In 1919 as the Spanish flu hit, schools were closed for up to four months as the country battled the ravaging disease which killed close to 50 million people worldwide.
At that time, the Fourth Industrial Revolution had not yet commenced.
Teachers had to rely on hard copy books for theirpupils to study at home under the supervision of parents.
What lessons can we get from that episode?
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government, through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, activated robust radio and television educational programming to cater for the educational needs of the populace.
This is reminiscent of the early years of independence when the former Radio 4 used to belt out education programmes.
It was a joy to watch eager pupils gathering around a radio set and listening attentively to the lessons.
But Manicaland is mountainous in areas like Chimanimani, Nyanga, Chipinge and Mutasa, which makes it almost impossible to get radio and TV signals.
Against such a background, some students might be unable to get radio signal and benefit from the radio and television lessons.
Teachers can therefore share learning materials among their pupils.
In areas where mobile network signals are good, teachers can create WhatsApp groups and encourage pupils with mobile phones to share the learning materials with their peers who do not have.
Of course any physical interaction among the students need to be under strict Covid-19 protocols, including physical distancing, masking up and handwashing.
It is my view that if three pupils are to meet, and these protocols are observed, there won’t be much risk of spreading the virus.
According to research, during the Spanish flu era in the 1920s, the American government engaged nurses at each school to avert a potential disaster.
As a result, the pandemic eased off without much damage to the school system.
School Development Committees can consider employing health personnel for their respective schools.
Our children’s health is at stake here.
President Mnangagwa has rightly noted that complacency has crept into the Zimbabwean psyche, with the result being that most people have thrown caution into the air.
Consequently, cases have spiked.
For the well to do, online lessons are providing relief, but for the have-nots, it is a living nightmare.
According to the latest figures of the International Telecommunications Union, internet penetration in developing countries stands at 47 percent.
For Zimbabwe whose candidature at ‘O’ and ‘A’ level is dominated by rural day and boarding schools.
Serious questions need to be asked on whether the rural pupils are not being left behind on the digital efforts.
Mr Wilson Buruwayo, a teacher at one of the elite private schools where online lessons are in vogue, is of the view that the Government and its development partners ought to buy smartphones for every pupil and teacher in rural areas.
Without that intervention, he sees the education system suffering.
He said:”I don’t see this disease going anywhere in the immediate future. We have to adapt to the new normal and observe strict protocols at schools, lest the education system in Zimbabwe might never recover. The Government and development partners need to consider buying smart phones for those in rural areas.’’
He added: “Teachers can be incentivised to go the extra mile and write notes for their respective subjects to be sent to their pupils.’’
Unfortunately, part of society still frowns upon online lessons.
While it appears to be remote teaching to the uninitiated, when the internet penetration rate rises, Facebook tutoring will become the in-thing.
The president of History Teachers of Zimbabwe, Mr Manners Musongelwa, has a Facebook Page where he posts his lessons and notes on various History topics, from Form One up to Form Six.
He, however, said the WhatsApp platform is the best alternative to physical learning.
Chipinge District Schools Inspector, Mr Richard Gabaza, concurs that smart phones unavailability among the majority of rural learners is the elephant in the room.
He said information is power and pupils have a right to education.
Mr Phillip Kusasa, a renowned culturist, said more needs to be done to develop digital infrastructure in rural areas.
“Development partners must shift from donating hard copies of textbooks and move on to equipping rural communities with digital centres. We need rural digital libraries. Access to education is every child’s right but the countryside seems to be lagging behind in that area,” said Mr Kusasa.
With devolution promoting development across the country, local authorities also need to establish these digital call centres in the rural communities.
As a nation, we cannot afford to fail our rural students.
