Harare (New Ziana) – This year’s Form One learners will start classes on February 14, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Evelyn Ndlovu said on Friday.
This follows the release of Grade 7 results for 2021 earlier on Friday, with learners expected to start collecting them on Monday.
Ndlovu said parents wishing to enrol their children in boarding school should also start using the online platform next Monday.
“Parents/guardians who had indicated their wish to enrol their children for Form 1 2022 should with effect from 7 February 2022 (when the platform will be open for Heads of boarding secondary schools to commence their enrolment of 2022 Form 1’s) constantly check the application status of their children. The head will communicate with the parents/guardians once their children are selected.
“The enrolment process for Form 1 boarding places will close on 11 February 2022. Parents/guardians are thus urged to fully utilise the five-day period to enrol their children,” she said in a statement.
She said the enrolment for 2022 Form 1 day scholars would be done during the same period of 7 to 11 February 2022.
“This process will enable both Form 1 day scholars and boarders to join the rest of the learners on 14 February 2022. The school calendar for the rest of the continuing classes for the year 2022 will be as already issued by the Ministry,” she said.
Opening of Lower Sixth classes, said Dr Ndlovu, will be prescribed by the Permanent Secretary immediately after the release of the 2021 O’ level examination results.
Turning to management of Covid-19 in schools, Dr Ndlovu said Government would continue to support schools with the provision of basic Personal Protective Equipment.
“In light of this all eligible 16-17 year old learners are urged to join the nation’s efforts to continue fighting the pandemic through taking advantage of government’s free vaccination programme. Let us turn our schools into COVID-19 free zones,” she said.
Ahead of schools opening some unions representing teachers have declared incapacitation saying they will not be able to work until their financial situation is dealt with.
The teachers are demanding United States Dollar salaries but the Government said it does not have enough resources.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education director of Communications and Advocacy Taungana Ndoro told New Ziana that the Ministry is concerned with the ‘trend’ whereby teachers threaten to down schools at the beginning of every term.
“It has become a trend that each time when schools are about to open, we will have issues of teachers’ grievances shooting to be a priority but when schools are closed and during lockdowns some of them are doing whatever they are doing; some are even conducting extra lessons illegally
“When we say schools are opening, they run to say they are not coming to work. It’s a cause for concern,” he said.
Ndoro added: “Let us try and find each other, especially when schools are about to open.”
Last year, the British House of Lords revealed that their government was meeting with Zimbabwean teachers unions to discuss their affairs.
New Ziana
