Schools will now close on July 26 as most learning institutions will be used as polling centres during the July 31 harmonised elections, the government announced Friday.
REPORT BY NQOBILE BHEBHE
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart said to compensate for lost time, the third term will start on September 3 instead of September 9.
“This is necessary to enable the participation of teachers in this national exercise as well as the use of schools as polling stations,” the minister said in a statement.
The third term will end on December 5 as scheduled.
“If individual schools have particular events which they will find difficult to adjust or postpone they may apply to the permanent secretary for permission to continue with these events,” Coltart said.
“Sympathetic consideration will be given to these applications so long as they do not clash with the election itself and do not involve keeping the entire school open.”
On Thursday, the Constitutional Court ruled that the elections must go ahead on July 31 as proclaimed by President Robert Mugabe.
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Sadc had advised Mugabe to seek a two week postponement of the polls to allow for outstanding reforms to be implemented.
