Due to the Independence holidays and to avoid congestion on public on transport, the Ministry of Basic Education has decided to close schools on Friday, (25th September) and reopen on the 6th October for term two.
This was said by the Minister for Basic Education, Fidelis Molao when responding to a question in Parliament last week.
He said that the unpredictability of the virus means that it is not clear as of now, whether all learners will be able to attend all lessons and write all examinations. “Where learners miss some lessons, arrangements are being made to support them to make up for the lost time and where some miss examination papers for genuine reasons, special consideration or an alternative paper will be provided by the assessment authority as is the norm.”
Molao pointed out that the adjustment of the school programme has taken into account the completers’ examinations and the teaching calendar.
He mentioned that some examinations have not been localised and that their scheduling is set internationally and as such discussions were ongoing to determine how they will be handled.
The Minister said that in order to accommodate the needs for social distancing, the Ministry has introduced shifting timetables in many schools and also hired about 3 000 additional temporary teachers to deliver the curriculum.
Molao added that the Ministry’s Senior Government Officials were engaged in the management and supervision of schools and assisting teachers. “These processes include advising on pedagogy at this difficult time for teachers to focus on key objectives, provision of psycho social support for both staff and students, even though our human resources are limited in this area.”