Mon, 15 Jan 2018 11:56:46 +0000
By MUKOSELA KASALWE
THE Ministry of General Education has clarified that both public and private schools will open on January 22nd.
Speaking during a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Minister of General Education Dennis Wanchinga, said the move would enable a quick stabilisation of the school calendar.
Dr Wanchinga also said instead of schools closing on April 13, 2017 as per calendar, they would close on April 20, 2017 to catch up on lost time.
He added that private schools would follow the ministry’s calendar while international schools would stick to their own calendar.
Dr Wanchinga said the ministry would put in place measures to see to it that pupils were in a safe environment to avoid the spread of cholera.
He said the ministry had implored all school administrations across the country to enhance sanitation levels and teach good hygiene practices among pupils to eliminate cholera.
The minister said inspectors from the Ministry of Health would be going through schools to check on the hygiene standards and that those, which would not comply with the regulations, would be charged.
And Higher Education Minister Professor Nkandu Luo has disclosed that UNZA and CBU would remain closed until the stipulated sanitary guidelines were met in the wake of the cholera outbreak.
Prof Luo noted that the two universities had many sanitation challenges, which had to be addressed before students report back.
She said the levels of squatting in the two universities were alarming and a danger to public health.
“It is sad to note that a room meant for one person is accommodating more than six people, life is precious and government will not leave anything to chance in the fight against cholera.
“So UNZA and CBU will remain closed until they meet the stipulated health guidelines and hygienic conditions,” she said.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya said countrywide, there was a cumulative total of 3, 223 cases and 74 deaths from the epidemic.
He has also emphasised on the need for citizens to complete the cholera vaccine dosage.
