IN our NewsDay edition yesterday we carried a story on government directing all Grade 7 pupils to continue going to school after writing their final Zimbabwe School Examinations Council tests on Monday until the term ends on December 1.
Government said it has also banned all field trips which the Grade 7s normally undertake during this period whereby they visit the country’s resort areas to unwind and learn about Zimbabwe.
Government, in its wisdom or lack of, said it had arrived at this decision in order to protect the children from engaging in mischief by keeping them occupied at school and safeguarding them from possibly getting exposed to road traffic accidents if they partake in these trips.
This appears to be very caring and noble of our government.
But far from it, when did this government ever start caring about the welfare of our children?
First, if ever this government cared about our children, why has it been denying them having extra lessons to aid them in sharpening their minds in preparation for their future?
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Government banned extra lessons donkey years ago saying children needed time to relax after they close schools, while it also accused teachers of cashing in on extra lessons.
What boggles the mind is that government was never asked to pay for the extra lessons, which ironically are being conducted at elite schools where government officials’ children learn.
Second, government crafted a strange curriculum for our children called the Continuous Assessment Learning Activity which is making the children hate school. What kind of government does that? Why on earth would a caring government make learning a nightmare, instead of making it fun?
Now the same government is banning children from visiting places of interest in the country.
What caring is there in stopping our children from travelling to wherever they wish to go, as if government is paying for the trips? So, when, and how will our children learn about their country?
Honestly, they cannot learn about some of the world’s greatest natural wonders in their backyards from books when they can physically go to experience these places.
In the process of seemingly appearing to be caring, government is destroying domestic tourism which it ironically claims to promote.
Instead of imposing a blanket ban on educational trips, government should instead just introduce strict regulations on school drivers to minimise chances of road accidents during those trips.
We understand that government wants to keep our children in school to engage them in such activities as Chinese and North Korean-type of mass displays. What value do these mass displays add to our children, except to control their minds to worship the ruling elite?
In our opinion, government’s decision to keep our Grade 7s in school and ban them from visiting tourist resorts is an attack on their rights.