College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe president David Dzatsunga said their members will insist that the government create a safe teaching environment for them as polytechnics, teachers’ colleges and industrial training colleges reopen.
This comes after the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development announced the staggered re-opening of colleges commencing on July 13.
The Ministry said it has taken into account the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health and Child Care COVID-19 pandemic prevention measures. Dzatsunga said:
This basically depends on individual colleges whether they have the capacity to reopen but what is critical is that our members should insist that the environments should be safe.
The other issue is that a few of the colleges have been used as quarantine centres but we have been made to understand that Government is now clearing the returnees from the centres in preparation for the re-opening.
Schools will be reopened in phases starting on July 28, with the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) June examinations having started last week.