Safely reopen schools

The countdown to the January reopening of schools is on. The question many are asking is whether most schools will be ready with the required infrastructure to enable the enforcement of the Covid-19 health safety protocols.

There have already been some painful lessons from the partial reopening that saw Grade Four, Class Eight and Form Four learners recalled several months ago.

A number Covid-19 deaths have occurred, and not just among students, but also some teachers, including school principals.

The schoolchildren find themselves between a rock and a hard place. They are not particularly safe at home, as has been demonstrated by the increasing teenage pregnancies and the vulnerability of both girls and boys, as many parents have literally lost control.

In fact, the biggest irony is that even parents are now publicly acknowledging that their children would be safer in school.

With poor preparations and lack of adequate facilities, the start of the new school term could descend into chaos.

Time is running out for the schools in the effort to build the required safety and health infrastructure to enable social distancing. Catering for the 13 million primary and secondary school students will be a tall order.

To keep the deadly virus at bay, schools must have running water to enable the frequent washing of hands. Classrooms will accommodate fewer learners for social distancing, hence the need for additional facilities. There is talk, for instance, of erecting tents in school compounds.

On a positive note, though, interns are being recruited to plug the shortage of teachers, which has been worsened by the directive to keep those aged over 58 away from the classrooms.

In January, the biggest challenge will be to ensure schools do not become the new epicentre of infections and deaths.

However, as the popular saying goes, where there is a will there is a way. All must join hands with the education authorities to make this happen safely.