CHENGETAI MURIMWA IN BULAWAYO
Government wants to put e-learning infrastructure for schools as it seeks resumption of classes after the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the 2021 calendar, a Cabinet minister has said.
Early this year, the government deferred the reopening of schools indefinitely following a surge in new cases of Covid-19 and deaths.
Schools were supposed to reopen on January 4.Primary and Secondary Education Cain Mathema said this week it was critical to put in place the infrastructure at schools as they switch to on-line learning.
“We are working to provide all our schools with e-learning facilities. It is not an easy task looking at the state of our economy, but plans are in place,” Mathema said.
His sentiments come after the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Association of Zimbabwe President Obert Masaraure had said the e-learning programme in the country has become discriminatory as it was only catering for those that can afford internet and schools that have the facilities.
He urged the government to enhance the setting up of infrastructure and development that allows for our schools to have access and availability of the internet that will enhance e-learning.
“In the meantime we want schools in rural areas to embark on offline remote learning that will make sure that they are not left out as the Covid-19 pandemic has badly affected the education sector,” Masaraure said.
Schools in remote areas are hardest-hit by the lack of e-learning facilities as there is no alternative to in-class learning during lockdown and in times of natural occurrences such as flooding.
Some parents in rural Gwanda in Matabeleland South say their children were not attending lessons due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown and flooded rivers at a time some children in urban areas are undertaking online lessons.
“We understand that children in the cities are learning using computers but our children here haven’t had that opportunity to learn.
Towards the end of last year, our children failed to go to school because of the flooded rivers,” Mkhululi Nhliziyo said.
Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa extended the national lockdown to February 15, 2021.
The lockdown has badly affected the school calendar and this has resulted in some schools with internet facilities to offer e-learning services to their students.
A census on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) of 2017 revealed that out of 4 683 primary schools without access to the Internet, 4 611 were in rural areas while 72 were in urban areas.
This shows that 98,4% of rural schools have no internet access further worsening educational constraints already affecting rural communities and the Covid-19 related lockdowns.
