GOVERNMENT has lifted the ban on holiday lessons for examination classes as it buckles under pressure from parents and teachers, NewsDay reports.
The government early this year banned holiday lessons saying learners needed to rest.
Unions representing teachers scoffed at the ban, arguing holiday lessons were necessary to support learners to complete the syllabi before they sat for their final examinations.
The Primary and Secondary Education ministry yesterday said allowing holiday lessons was necessitated by the recognition that schools had faced various challenges in completing the syllabi during the second term.
The holiday lessons will run for 10 days, between August 19 and 30.
Government also set the fee structures for lessons during the 10-day duration.
Grade 7 pupils will pay US$2 per subject.
Form 4 pupils will pay US$3 per subject, while Form 6 students will fork out US$5 per subject or its equivalent in Zimbabwe Gold at the prevailing bank rate.
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Boarding students will pay an extra US$4 per day for their upkeep during the vacation school period.
The ministry’s secretary Moses Mhike said the newly introduced heritage-based curriculum had necessitated the need for teachers to embrace blended teaching and learning approaches.
“While the above transformative actions are underway, it is recognised that schools have different challenges that may have affected their syllabus coverage and necessitated the conduct of vacation school for examination classes,” Mhike said.
“All must be cognisant of the need to prevent the ever-escalating cost of teaching and learning for parents, particularly in view of the disadvantaged pupils who otherwise would not benefit from extra support.
“Therefore, for the year 2024, authority is granted for schools to conduct vacation school during the August holidays for the examination classes of Grade 7, Form 4 and Upper 6.”
Government has previously banned holiday lessons saying there were no disruptions to the school calender.
“The ministry notes with appreciation the requests that have been received from some of its sectors, to allow for the uptake of the vacation school for examination classes of Grade 7, Ordinary, and Advanced Level during this April holiday,” Mhike wrote in March.
“Having consulted widely on the matter and cognisant of the fact that the school term had no disturbances at all to the teaching and learning programme, therefore, authority is ‘NOT GRANTED’ that schools facilitate a vacation school during the April school holidays for the Grade 7, Ordinary and Advanced Level candidates, as well as for the non-examinations classes.”
Unions representing teachers yesterday questioned why the government had banned the holiday lessons in the first place.
“There is no significant policy that has been announced,” Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said.
“Why should the government oppose initiatives in the education sector just for the sake of it? . . . Learners need additional help, but the government does not want to accept it. It, instead, criminalises every effort by the teacher to support learners.”
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said holiday lessons were necessary.
“Gazetted fees help deal with issues of discrimination and stop schools from charging exorbitant fees during the holiday lessons,” Masaraure said.
“We also appreciate the acknowledgement by the government that the teachers also had to get a token appreciation for the work done over the holidays.”
Zimbabwe Teachers Association secretary-general Goodwill Taderera said teachers and non-teachers were taking advantage of parents and learners to conduct holiday lessons.
“That the ministry has now allowed it is something that has always been expected,” he said.
“Considering that it is a new curriculum and there are a lot of things that our learners and teachers want to familiarise with, it is critical for maximum utilisation of time to learn.”
The ministry said it would deploy its officials to monitor the holiday lessons.
“The ministry looks forward to improving pupil performance through the running of the vacation school as it will offer a focused environment for candidates to prepare for their upcoming examinations,” the ministry said.
“Candidates should be assisted to cover a significant portion of the syllabus efficiently and effectively, including timely submissions of all their continuous assessment learning area activity components [Cala]. All candidates must have their Cala marks moderated as guided by Zimsec [Zimbabwe School Examinations Council], at the rightful timeframe, so as to receive their full results.”
