Abstract
Zimbabwe was as seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as other nations across the globe. On March 30, 2020, the Zimbabwe government imposed the first 21-day lockdown for the entire country. Since then, the countrywide lockdown was extended throughout the whole 2020 year. All schools remained closed; however, teachers used innovative strategies to teach and assess students virtually. This chapter explores the creative techniques used in Zimbabwean schools to educate students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
TopOverview Of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country bordered by South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, and Zambia. The country attained its independence in 1980 from Britain after a long protracted war (CIA Factbook, 2021). As of 2021, the estimated population of Zimbabwe was 14,829, 988 with the majority of the population below the age of 30 years (CIA Factbook, 2021). The life expectancy in Zimbabwe has shrunk to below 50 years due to the prevalence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is among the highest in the world. Additionally, the significantly low life expectancy is also a result of the continuously deteriorating health delivery system. The country has seen an economic decline since the early 2000 when it implemented the infamous land reform program. The program was meant to redress the inequities that existed in landownership but the implementation of the program was characterized by human rights abuses. As a result of the human rights abuses, the country was isolated from the international community and could not engage in any form of trade and this had catastrophic consequences on key sectors of the economy (i.e., health and education). There are two main ethnic groups in Zimbabwe (i.e., Shona and Ndebele), with the Shona being the predominant tribe. The country has three main languages (i.e., Shona, English, and Ndebele) and 13 minority languages (i.e., Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Khoisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa) with English being the official business language.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Access: The ability for everyone to use an item or thing without limitations.
Private School: A school funded by a business, an individual, or an organization.
Technology: The equipment necessary to facilitate access and learning in education.
WhatsApp: An American-made freeware used to send messages, audio, and images via the internet.
Pandemic: A widespread presence of a disease in a country.
Public School: A fully-funded school and owned by the government.
Infrastructure: The facilities necessary for a school to function smoothly. These comprise of physical and well as technology-based.