Free holiday lessons for flood-hit pupils

SCHOOL children affected by floods in Tsholotsho District will have a chance to catch up on their studies as the provincial education department is organising free holiday lessons for them.

The Government has also said other affected schools in the country can apply to conduct the vacation lessons.

Tsholotsho District was severely affected by floods that displaced more than 1 000 people.

Most of the people were moved to a temporary camp at Sipepa Hospital while others remained at their homesteads with no access to basic services.

Matabeleland North provincial education director Mrs Boithatelo Mnguni said the province was organising free holiday lessons for the affected children.

"The situation has left us with no option but to come up with an arrangement that will see children affected by floods attending school during the school holidays. This will cover up for time lost as they were being settled into the camp and other local schools. Most of them missed a lot during the time they were being moved to the camp.

"While some of them were incorporated at Sipepa Primary and Secondary schools, it's sad that others are not in school, neither are they at the camp. This means they're not attending school at all," said Mrs Mnguni.

She said those who are not at the camp and remained with their parents at home were cut off from school.

"There are quite a number of villagers who remained behind when people were being evacuated to the camp. Their homesteads were not flooded but they were cut off from schools, clinics and other essential services.

"Our registers have shown us that more than 76 Jimila Primary School children are not at school and also not at camp. We also have 105 Mpilo Primary School children not attending school. This means that they remained at home and there's a body of water between home and school, making it impossible for them to attend classes," said Mrs Mnguni.

She said she had communicated with the school heads to accept children from other schools so that they are not left behind.

"Some children have been cut off from their schools but have access to others. We have therefore agreed that school heads should accept children from other schools. All they have to do is report to my office so that we keep record and track other absent children.

"We're also liaising with the traditional leadership to assist us with tracking children that are not attending school," said Mrs Mnguni.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora said schools affected by floods countrywide could apply for vacation school to compensate for time lost due to floods during the term.

"Each and every district has different ways of compensating for time lost due to the floods. It's standard that any school that has lost time due to one reason or another can apply to the ministry for vacation school," said Dr Dokora.