By Primrose Tagutanadzo
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has held consultations with parents in rural areas and traditional leaders to find a solution to ensure how best the reopening of schools would be feasible during the continued Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to the continued Covid-19 induced lockdown, schools have remained been closed since June 4.
Learners have had to learn via online learning platforms which has been a challenge for some learners in some rural areas.
ARTAZ president Obert Masaraure has toured different rural areas to opinions regarding the reopening of school.
Musaraure said, the of organization had held consultative meetings in Chikomba East, Mahware, Shamva and Kandenga in Buhera.
He said parents were concerned about when children would be going back to school and its effects on the continued spread of the pandemic.
“Besides the spread of the pandemic, parents fear that some children might fail to go back school due to early child marriages, their involvement in drug abuse,” he said.
“Parents suggested that if the wave continues , Government must implement easy and accessible ways of educating children so that they are ever busy so that they will not be involved in illegal practices and to keep their minds up to date so that when they go back to school are still I the mood.”
Musaraure said parents urged Government to offer schools money to by personal protective equipment for school children since they could not afford the expenses.
“Parents said there was need for more teachers must be recruited and furniture to be provided at schools to ensure that social distance is maintained,” he said.
