Schools apply for extra lessons

SOME schools have applied to Government seeking approval to conduct holiday lessons to compensate for time lost during disturbances that rocked the country in January and when teachers went on strike the following month.

In 2014, Government directed schools intending to conduct lessons during the holidays to apply to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education justifying their requests.

This followed concerns that some teachers and school administrators were using the lessons to fleece parents.

Some schools have already applied for permission to conduct the holiday lessons after the First Term ends on April 11.

Acting Provincial Education Directors (PED) for Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces yesterday confirmed that some schools have applied to conduct extra lessons for their examination sitting classes.

Matabeleland North acting PED Mr Jabulani Mpofu said the extra lessons issue is an initiative from schools.

“Remember the disturbances that we experienced earlier which affected the schools calendar. This is a schools initiative and they want to revise during the holidays.

“I don’t have the actual number of schools but I have several primary schools that applied initially and now we have secondary schools coming in as well,” said Mr Mpofu.

He said most of the extra lessons would be done for free except in boarding schools.

Bulawayo acting PED Mrs Olicah Kaira said some schools in the province have also approached her office seeking permission to conduct holiday lessons.

She said the lessons must not be conducted for more than 10 days.

“Only the examination sitting classes that are Grade Seven, Ordinary Level and Advanced Level have applied to conduct extra lessons during the holidays.

“I wouldn’t know off hand the number of schools that have applied so far but as a province we have been working towards beefing up the lost time.

“As a system we have our ways of making sure that our learners catch up on lost time,” said Mrs Kaira.

She said parents and school administration authorities should decide on how the extra lessons would be conducted and the monies to be charged.

“Vacation school is only for 10 days, it does not go beyond 10 days and the Ministry stipulates the money that should be charged once parents have agreed and there is proof when budgets are presented,” Mrs Kaira said.

Matabeleland South acting PED Mr Lifias Masukume said schools have not indicated in their applications whether they will be charging parents for the extra lessons.

“I can confirm that schools have applied for holiday lessons to compensate for time lost during the term for examinable classes. Normally schools apply in August but this year schools applied earlier,” said Mr Masukume. — @nqotshili.