An Evaluation of the Health Safety Concerns in Zimbabwean Public Schools Operating under the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This paper sought to evaluate the health safety concerns in public schools’ operations under the Covid-19 pandemic and focused on schools in Masvingo Urban. The study was necessitated by an increasing number of public schools in Zimbabwe reporting significant cases of Covid-19 infections since reopening in September 2020 raising public fear that the Standard Operations Procedures (SOPs) prescribed for schools to prevent, combat and manage the spread of the coronavirus were not being enforced hence schools were not safe for the learners and teachers. The study used a descriptive design narrative and a qualitative discourse. The descriptive survey design was preferred for its suitability and simplicity as well as its focus on analyzing data gathered for purpose of describing attitudes and behaviours that influence and shape how the population under study feel and understand things around them. The data for the study, particularly the obvert breaches of SOPs were gathered through observation. Interviews and questionnaires were used to ensure triangulation of techniques so as to better understand whether the shortcomings in implementation of SOPs were due to personal omissions or challenging circumstances that school communities found themselves in. While observation was for all and sundry at the fifteen (15) school selected for the study, targeted sampling was used to come up with seventy-five (75) respondents for interviews and questionnaires. The study revealed that the implementation of SOPs in public schools is far below stakeholders’ expectations and World Health Organization benchmarks. Regrettably, the school environment meant to be improved by the SOPs was still congested and characterized by risk behaviours which expose learners and teachers to the Covid-19 scourge. Chief among the undesirable behaviours include doing without personal protective equipment (gowns, gloves, face masks) or improper use of the same, failure to keep social distance, loopholes in screening of learners and visitors for Covid-19 symptoms and poor hand hygiene. The study further revealed a plethora of underlying challenges to the implementation of the SOPs. Central to the challenges is understaffing of all the school covered by the study. The shortage of teachers has made it difficult to split the mega classes (doubling normal teacher-pupils’ ratio) to desirable and manageable numbers. The neck breaking workload shouldered on the teachers in post that now included close monitoring of learners to enforce Covid-19 prevention and management protocols weighed down on their morale and commitment to duty. Financial constrain was also detrimental as all school did not have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment and sanitizers. The study primarily recommends that the highlighted challenges faced in the implementation of the SOPs be addressed as a matter of urgency. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) should engage the Public Service Commission with the view of employing additional teachers to easy the staff shortage and spread the workload. MoPSE should also explore possibilities of introducing a separate school calendar for various levels to meaningfully decongest classrooms and hostels. The Ministry of Finance must step up its appropriation allocation to public schools through grants to ensure adequate supply of personal protective equipment and sanitizers. In order to empower learners through life skills positive behaviour change for the ‘new normal’ school environment, psycho–educational in form of intensified guidance and counselling programmes must be offered to all learners at all levels in the schools. Keywords: COVID-19, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Coronavirus Management Protocols. DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/70-05 Publication date: January 31 st 2021