Idai-hit schools closed

GOVERNMENT has ordered schools that were affected by Cyclone Idai to close and re-open two weeks before the second school term starts on May 7 saying the environment was not conducive for learning to continue.

In an interview yesterday, Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister, Cde Edgar Moyo who is in Chimanimani, also said Government has availed RTGS $4 million for the reconstruction of schools in the tropical Cyclone Idai-affected areas.

He said the schools which have since shut down are expected to open on April 23, two weeks before the second term starts for pupils in the affected schools to make up for lost time.

“We have ordered that some schools in affected areas be closed as way of stress reduction and rehabilitation. We told them to close early especially the boarding schools, even day schools because they lost a lot of things,” said the Deputy Minister.

“Our strategy now is we know that these children are traumatised , some of them from home due to deaths in the families , some of their family members are missing , the level of trauma is very high so no meaningful learning can take place in that environment that’s why we said they must close.”

Cde Moyo said schools lost stationery, furniture and some buildings were destroyed and Government had availed RTGS$ 4 million for their rehabilitation.

“Government has provided some money, $4 million has been provided for the reconstruction of schools. We are also looking at a programme to rehabilitate all other schools in the affected area,” he said.

Cde Moyo said in order to make up for lost time, the affected schools would commence lessons two weeks before the rest of the schools.

“We are anticipating that they will open two weeks before the normal schools calendar term opens to make up for lost time. We hope that by then we would have put up rehabilitative strategies in terms of infrastructure, and also furniture and some text books. We hope that by that time we would have finished,” he said.

“The tentative date for re-opening is April 23 but it is subject to confirmation depending on the situation on the ground. Our vision is for them to open on April 23 to make up for lost time”.

The deputy Minister said he feared that the $4 million allocated by Government would not be sufficient as the damage was underestimated by the people on the ground.

He said headmasters and school development committee members were tasked to make estimates as experts could not travel to the affected areas, some of which are still inaccessible by road.

“After the Cyclone there was an effort to try and quantify the damage and it was granted but I know the final cost is going to be much more than that because of the inaccessibility to some place, we could not get experts to do that.

We depended mostly on SDCs and headmasters but yesterday when I looked at one of the schools and the estimates we were given it did not tally because I think they were underestimating,” he said

“At Charles Lwanga they estimated that the cost was $110 000 but if you look at the dining hall, nearly a million is required because the whole structure needs to be reconstructed, furniture was lost, kitchen equipment inside, it would cost far more than they estimated,” he said.

“So obviously the $4 million is just a drop in the ocean. We have not gone to all the schools because of roads inaccessibility but from the description we are getting, I think there is far more damage, so we will continue to engage and update the information.” — @ AuxiliaK.