Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union Of Zimbabwe has criticized the government’s decision to go ahead and open schools for the 2021 school calendar and said controversy awaits the school opening due to rising COVID-19 cases, projected Cyclone Chalane, and general teacher incapacitation, Newsday reports.
ARTUZ President Obert Masaraure speaking to the publication had this to say about schools opening:
The incapacitation crisis, COVID-19 crisis and Cyclone Chalane crisis will make it impossible for schools to efficiently open doors for learning.
The education crisis of 2020 will definitely spill into 2021 as no fundamental interventions were instituted during the brief holiday.
Masaraure said they will escalate their campaign aimed at uniting stakeholders to implore the government to ensure quality education is delivered:
ARTUZ will escalate the #SaveOurEducationZW campaign in a bid to unite education stakeholders to force government to account on the front of delivering inclusive quality education.
Other stakeholders which include Community Working Group on Health executive through its director Itai Rusike said the government should exercise caution because of the COVID-19 second wave:
As our COVID-19 cases continue to escalate, with the second wave of transmission already upon us, with the looming threat of the new COVID-19 variant posing a serious concern for the populace, the government of Zimbabwe should exercise extreme caution as it prepares to open schools on January 4 2021
Schools are scheduled to open next week on Monday after a short break over the Christmas holiday.
