15 Jul 2021

Basic education ministry has given details of the school closure announced by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi on Tuesday.

A ministry media release says all schools in Botswana, inclusive of private and pre-schools, will be closed from today and reopen on August 17.

The release says all learners, including boarders, are to return home while the school leadership is expected to make arrangements for taking care of those quarantined or isolated in hostels until they are released.

It states that boarding school learners needing to travel home across zones will be facilitated by management in the usual manner.

“Staff who need to travel across zones should use the current national travel arrangements of applying for permits through the ‘Be Safe’ application.

However, everyone is reminded to avoid unnecessary travel and to strictly comply with COVID-19 protocols at all times,” the release says.

It stresses the importance of giving learners work to do during the school closure period in order to keep them fully engaged to avoid poor academic performance.

“Please note that learners should not go to school during the period of school closure,” it says.

The release states that the ministry has decided to grant all public school teachers and support staff 16 free days and the leadership 13.

School leadership is to report for work on August 9 and teachers and support staff three days later, it explains.

It says  engaged staff in public schools can take their days off at another time.

The release says all planned end of term two examinations are suspended with immediate effect and will be rescheduled.

“Schools will be inspected for COVID-19 compliance from August 11-16, 2021 inclusive of the weekend,” states the release. Ends