Schools to reopen late in January as second COVID-19 wave hits
By Clifton Movirongo.
Face-to-face learning at all schools is expected to commence on 26 January, the Minister of Education, Arts and Culture Hon Anna Nghipondoka announced this week.
Initially schools were set to re-open on 11 January but deferred to 26 January, due to the recent surge of positive COVID-19 cases.
“In consultation with the Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Namibia National Teachers’ Union (NANTU), National Advisory Committee on Education and other key stakeholders and role players, the Ministry wishes to inform the public of the revised dates for the face-to-face opening of all schools,” Nghipondoka said.
As a result, the minister said teachers will report for duty on 14 January in lieu of 6 January and that schools must meet the key conditions that are mandatory prerequisites for opening of all schools.
She added: “Considering the various regulations issued on COVID-19 by the MoHSS, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture has put various mechanisms in place to ensure implementation in schools and school preparedness.”
Nghipondoka also emphasized that parents are in charge of ensuring their kids are provided with face-masks and the correct information on how to properly wear the masks, adding that schools are expected to communicate to parents as to what teaching and learning mode they will make use of.
The types of teaching modes in consideration comprises platooning, time-based cohorts, distributed groups, or a combination of these “in the implementation of the curriculum”.
To date, the cumulative number of confirmed cases currently stand at 26,319 while the total number of active cases stand at 3881 .The total number of COVID-19 related deaths now stand at 235.
