Private schools give LCC Covid-19 headache

LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes WE have big challenges with private schools in Kanyama compound as most of them are not following health guidelines that have been given to them to protect the children from contracting COVID-19 says Lusaka City Council (LCC) Education Services Committees chairperson Brighton Bilumba. Mr Bilumba said from the time the schools opened on 1 June […]

Private schools give LCC Covid-19 headache
LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes WE have big challenges with private schools in Kanyama compound as most of them are not following health guidelines that have been given to them to protect the children from contracting COVID-19 says Lusaka City Council (LCC) Education Services Committees chairperson Brighton Bilumba. Mr Bilumba said from the time the schools opened on 1 June  most of the private schools were not monitoring the pupils to ensure that they were practingsocial distance and checking their temperature before they entered the school premises.  In an interview with the Sun, Mr Bilumba said that he had visited some private schools in his ward and expressed disappointment that most of the private schools did not have guidance teachers to monitor the children to ensure they practiced health guidelines.  Mr Bilumba said that private schools seemed to know the public health guidelines but they were not just put them into practice, which was not right because they were supposed to look out to the children to ensure they did not contract COVID-19.   “The rule is that when the pupils are coming into the school they should be a guidance teacher who should monitor them to ensure that they are doing the right thing or not     “When I took time to visited eight private schools in my ward the children are not tested for their temperatures pupils were mingling together the teachers are not even there to monitor them we have bigger challenges with the private schools,” he said.  Mr Bilumba said that it was different with government schools who were complying with all the measures that had been put in place despite having many pupils in one class compared to the private schools who had less pupils in class.  He urged the private sector to come on board and help spread more information in the community about how people should keep safe to avoid Covid-19 like the way Water Aid and the Ministry of Health had partnered with them in Kanyamacompound in the fight of the Epidemic.  Mr Bilumba said a sensitization programme had been launched in the area to educated people in the community about Covid-19 pandemic and that a drone flying in the community with speakers giving out information on how to fight the pandemic.     “We are planning to row out the information in all the seven constituencies in Lusaka especially in peri urban areas. Where compliance levels are quiet, low we are hopeful that the drone will give out information that will help change the mindset of the community,” he said. The Sun