The Zimbabwe National School Heads Union has highlighted the pressing challenges schools face in combating cholera due to water shortages.
Speaking in an interview with the Great Dyke News, the Union`s President Munyaradzi Majoni, representing school heads, underscored the critical issue of inadequate access to clean and safe water in both urban and rural schools.
He specifically referenced the plight in Mberengwa District, where some schools rely on community boreholes or river water, exacerbating the water scarcity issue.
Highlighting a potential solution, Majoni emphasized the need for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to equip schools with borehole water systems powered by solar pumps.
Addressing the concerning statistics of cholera cases in schools, Majoni stressed the paramount importance of ensuring a consistent and safe food and water supply within educational institutions. He emphasized that such measures are crucial in preemptively preventing waterborne diseases in the future.
Despite these critical needs, Majoni lamented the dilemma faced by school heads regarding ministry policies that restrict their authority to send students home in cases of risk. This decision-making power, he noted, solely rests with the permanent secretary, posing challenges in swiftly implementing effective solutions within schools.
