Reports Claiming that Schools will Reopen for The Second Term on April 28Are Fake

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema has dismissed online reports claiming that schools will reopen for the Second Term on April 28.

Mathema told The Herald that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has not issued any directive to that effect as there is no need to reopen schools while the country battles to contain the spread of the coronavirus. He said:

There is nothing like that. I work on instructions from the President and so far he has not directed that schools reopen early.

The Fake Messages Read

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Cain S.G Matema announced that schools will tentatively reopen on April 28, 2020 and pick up from where they stopped before the school term was cut short.

Initially, the first term was supposed to close on April 2, 2020. However with the new changes, the first term will end on June 12, 2020.

“When the school term opens, the first term will continue. No extra fees should be charged when schools reopen,” Honorable C. Matema said.

The second term will then open on June 22 and close on September 4 while the third term will consequently start on September 21 and close on December, 19 as opposed to earlier set dates.

Due to the changes in the school calendar, Honorable Cain Matema says that schools are banned from giving candidates several sporting activities as is the normal practice.

“All schools are now allowed to allow teachers from engaging students from extra lessons this year only to ensure that the syllabus is covered well and not to overcharge parents who most are informal traders affected as well by the lockdown. All learners will sit for one set of internal Mid year examinations at the end of the second term,” He said.

He encouraged teachers to use this time away from classrooms to prepare lesson plans that will enable proper syllabus coverage.

“Teachers are encouraged to prepare all lesson for the remaining part of the term before school reopens,” Honourable Matema said.

As learners wait for the school term to open, the ministry is going to provide learning material that can be accessed in schools as donated by UNICEF

“To ensure that children are learning during this time of school closure, the ministry under the guidance of NCDC standardises self study packages in all the core subjects especially the Candidates,” Honorable Matema added.

He also aged the communities to treat teachers well; make use of the integrated approach in order to assist O' and Advanced level candidates