BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—As closure of schools in the country in the face of coronavirus is taking huge toll on proprietors of private schools, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has indicated that reopening of schools still remains uncertain as there is no proven science that the pandemic is contained.
According to a press statement released today 14th May, 2020, on the outcomes of the National Stakeholders Planning Meeting on possibilities of reopening schools in the wake of covid-19, the ministry and the stakeholders have agreed that schools will reopen based on proven science and public health expertise.
The ministry says all schools and colleges were closed on 23rd March 2020 “with a view to protect learners, students, teachers and parents from contracting Coronavirus.”
“In an effort to coordinate better the fight against Covid-19, an all-stakeholder national planning meeting was held on Tuesday, 13th May, 2020, in Blantyre, to reflect on the impact of the school closure and the need to strategize on a safe return to learning,” reads the statement in part.
“The meeting agreed that all decisions for return to school will be based on proven science and public health expertise with the best interests of the learners and teachers.
“The meeting resolutions were guided by global standards developed by UNICEF in collaboration with UNESCO, World Bank, and the World Food Programme (WFP). While the reopening of schools is in the best interest of the child, there is also need for overall public health considerations based on an assessment of the associated benefits and risk-informed by cross-sectoral and context specific evidence,” the statement further reads.
The meeting was chaired by The Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Honourable Dr. William Susuwele-Banda MP, and it was attended by representatives from the following institutions among others; University of Malawi (UNIMA), Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Edukans, Independent Schools Association of Malawi (ISAMA), National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), Association of Christian Educators in Malawi (ACEM), Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ), Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB), Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM).
The ministry’s stand on the reopening of schools comes amid calls from different stake holders for gradual opening of the schools.
Commenting on the matter, a head teacher of certain private primary school in Blantyre has commended the ministry for taking into considerations the safety of teachers and students.
She says reopening schools while cases of covid-19 are rising is a gross negligence on the part of the authorities arguing “there is nothing we can compare with life.”
Plus, she says “it is unrealistic to expect young children to maintain a two-metre distance at playtime,” which she is not prepared to ban.
“Play is critical for children to be able to feel happy and to enjoy school life. What will happen if we make them sit like little robots in chairs, two metres away from each other, and they don’t have any interaction with their peers all day long?” she argued.
The closure of schools has hit hard owners of private schools whose financial running solely depends on school fees from learners who are currently at home.
Some schools have already suspended salaries for their members of staff.
On March 23, 2020, the country’s Head of State, Arthur Peter Mutharika directed the closure of all schools and colleges in effort to prevent spread of the Coronavirus.
The virus, which has shaken the entire world, favours crowded places as its fertile ground for quick spread. Schools are some of such places when students are available.