Sun, 21 Jan 2018 11:31:52 +0000
By CHIKUMBI KATEBE
THE Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) has challenged teachers to help ensure that schools are certified safe and ready for opening on January 23 following the cholera outbreak.
ZNUT secretary-general, Newman Bbubala said schools were working together with the government, health experts and other stakeholders in helping to ensure that they were secured against cholera.
“You know cholera is a killer disease so we want to ensure that schools are safe to avoid the spread of the disease.
“We are ready for opening but health people should work closely with the school administrations and the communities to certify which schools are ready,” Mr Bbubala said.
He said as a union, they would support any programmes by Government to maintain cleanliness through provision of adequate clean water, sanitation and cleanliness.
But some parents in Lusaka have expressed scepticism on the reopening of schools, arguing that the cholera epidemic was still endemic with some areas still declared as epicentres.
Ms Winnie Malambo of Matero said opening schools in the current situation was exposing the children to cholera because they did not understand its seriousness
Ms Malambo said she would not risk her six-year-old son to be exposed to the disease at their school which comprised children from as far as Chunga and Zingalume.
She explained that most children had been brought up to share food and these restrictions to fight cholera would be in futility as they would not be monitored.
“At home we are careful and constantly reminding them to wash hands, but against one teacher, the children will not be safe.
“I do not think my son is going to school next week, maybe the big ones, even them I am scared for them in terms of use of public toilets at the schools,” she said.
And Delphine Mwansa, a teacher at a private school in Emmasdale noted that children from different residential areas had the potential to raise cross infections especially those coming from the epicentres in Kanyama and George Compound.
Ms Mwansa said some children at her school came from as far as Zingalume, George Compound, Matero, Chaisa, Emmasdale and Thorn Park among other areas which posed a health hazard.
