HARARE – Grade 7 pupils must attend class until the normal closing date, even after completing their exams during the term, Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora minister has said.
Ordinarily, the students finish their exams about a month before the term ends.
Dokora told senators last week that after the exams students must attendant lessons for subjects that may not have been given full attention during the term.
“According to Policy Circular No. 62 of 1987, Grade 7 classes continue after examinations,” he argued, adding that “the circular provides for pupils to remain at school until the normal closing date of term”.
“This period of time should be used productively by providing remedial work for pupils who may need it and, for example, to reinforce work in subjects that may not have been given full attention in the period of intensive preparation for the Grade 7 examinations,” Dokora said.
“In addition, the Grade 7 teachers do prepare schemes of work for the post Grade 7 examination activities which they follow so that the learners are productively engaged.
“For example, working in the school garden, being engaged in sporting activities, visiting local industries and other activities planned by their teachers,” he said.
Dokora said government was monitoring all schools to ensure that students remain at school until the normal closing day.
“Teachers in charge of Grade 7 classes are obliged to mark registers on a daily basis and to ensure necessary measures are taken so that learners attend lessons.”
Meanwhile, Dokora also said his ministry is worried about irregularities in terms of prices and sizes of the buses which are being purchased by various schools.
“The ministry has witnessed an influx of buses which were purchased by schools. While this was a positive move for the sector, there were also attendant irregularities in terms of prices and sizes of the buses. … there were outcries from parent communities and some stakeholders with regards to the prices of some of the buses.
“For this reason, authority was then sought from the State Procurement Board with the view to regularise the purchase of the buses. The…Board directed the ministry to abide by the provisions of the Cabinet Circular 11 of 2016 in which schools are instructed to procure buses from Deven Engineering, FAW Zimbabwe and AVM Africa.” – Daily News
