25/08/2020
SCHOOL CALENDER ADJUSTED
The Ministry of General Education has with immediate effect made changes to the Zambian school calendar.
The move is aimed at ensuring that learners recover from the time lost when schools abruptly closed due to the covid19 outbreak.
Announcing the changes this morning at the ministry headquarters, Minister of General Education Dennis Wanchinga said schools will only close for two weeks from the 28th of August to the 14th of September 2020.
The Minister who was flanked by His Permanent Secretary Dr. Jobbicks Kalumba who explained that the reduced school holiday is in a bid to recover time lost when learners were at home.
“We have to make changes to our calendar therefore we have reduced our holidays for our learners
in a bid to recover time lost when our children were at home, when the schools abruptly closed due to covid19, this holiday will be for two weeks only, starting from 28th august to September 14 2020.”
However, Dr Wachinga left it to parents to decide wether to collect or not there children in boarding school.
He said the view of the ministry is that the two weeks break is not adequate for leaners in boarding to join there respective families.
Dr Wachinga noted that transporting children from boarding schools will be a strain on most families hence the call to allow children to remain in school.
“The holiday won’t be adequate for those in boardinghouse to crisscross the country to join there families, they therefore wish to state that it’s up to an individual family to decide wether there child will join them in this two weeks holiday, won’t be mandatory for families to collect there children, the choice is up to families, parents must decide.”
However,the Minister said it will be advantageous for the learns to remain in schools during this period as parents won’t incure transport costs.