The government has ordered local schools to reduce 2021 boarding enrolment as a way to curb the transmission of the coronavirus pandemic.
NewsDay saw a copy of the memo which was referenced “Call to reduce 2021 boarding enrolment to comply with COVID-19 management protocol in boarding facilities in the Midlands province.” The memo read:
Having experienced an outbreak of COVID-19 in some boarding facilities in 2020, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has resolved to improve compliance of boarding facilities in observing WHO and the Ministry of Health and Child Care COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
Heads are, therefore, advised to strictly adhere to the number that can be allowable in the boarding facilities when recruiting 2021 boarders. As a guide, new boarder recruits for 2021 should significantly be less than 2020 boarder recruits. To ensure compliance, officers from both the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and Ministry of Health and Child Care shall move to boarding schools monitoring observance of COVID-19 guidelines and compliance to boarding capacity measures.
Last year, a number of schools across the country were forced to prematurely close after a significant number of learners and members of staff had tested positive for the virus.
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