General Education Minister Dr Dennis Wanchinga has announced that government has reduced the school holiday period in a bid to recover the time lost during the abrupt closure of schools due to covid 19.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka today, Dr Wanchinga disclosed that the holiday will be for a period of only two weeks from 28th August 2020 to 14 the September 2020.
“It is also during this period that the GCE and Grade 9 External examination will take place,” The Minster said.
Dr. Wanchinga explained that government understands that the holiday period will be very short thereby making it challenging for learners to crisscross the country to join their families.
He stated that it will be up to the individual family to decide whether their child will join them during the two weeks break.
The Minister advised parents to consider allowing their children to remain in boarding school in order to reduce the strain on family resources and allow their children to study and catch up and prepare for their examination.
And Dr Wanchinga has therefore called upon school authorities to ensure that all learners that wish to stay in school during holidays are accorded to do so and ensure they continue providing a safe environment.
The Minister has authorized boarding schools to receive an extra boarding fee of K150 for two weeks adding that the modalities of payment should be agreed with the parents.
Dr Wanchinga has since warned schools managers not to use this as a fundraising opportunity but a service.
But Mr Bicycle, when will other grades open? Our kids are becoming something else please
But Mr Bicycle, when will other grades open? Our kids are becoming something else please. We dont want early pregnancies twapapata
Guide them properly ma, otherwise Mr sweetness is bad news.???
Any news on non examination pupils?
This is better, it should be the same for next. Maybe the school calendar can even be changed with term 1 starting in July.
Comment:so after all the closing and re-opening will the other learners like 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,10 and 11 re-open too if not can they just allow people from secondary school start schooling together with the examination classes on the 14th september. cause they have just missed a term not the whole year so its better they let them go back to school cause in homes thats were you find alot of pupils in crowded places mostly without a face mask. cause at school its more safe then in homes so please anyone out there just try to think about this one lets not let children forget schoo.l again lets look at the teachers there in homes were will they get at least a bit of income without the jobs they use to do please government look at our cry out there