Schools ordered shut during holidays as ministry closes door on extra lessons

HARARE – The ministry of primary and secondary education has banned vacation school during the April school holidays, including for Grade 7, O’ Level and A’ Level exam classes.

Moses Mhike, the ministry’s secretary, said learners “need this holiday break to rest and engage in independent learning where need be…”

The government insists that the school calendar must be respected, especially because “teaching and learning went seamlessly during the first term of the year, fully embracing the 56 days set aside for that process.”

“Having consulted widely on the matter and taking cognizance of the fact that the school term had no disturbances at all to the teaching and learning programme, therefore, authority is not granted that schools facililate a vacation school during the April school holidays for Grade 7, Ordinary Level, Advanced Level candidates as well as for the non-examination classes,” Mhike said in a statement.

Provincial education directors, he said, “are to make sure that this directive is complied with to the letter.”

Schools have been using holiday lessons to prepare learners for examinations – but the government also sees a selfish interest by poorly-paid teachers who get paid extra by parents for their children to be taught off calendar.

The government maintains that teachers should cover the syllabus within the set school calendar, and allow children to rest and recharge during the holidays.

Parents desperate for their children to pass could now be forced to look for private tutors for their children, which the government also discourages warning that children could suffer sexual abuse outside the controlled school environment.

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