The Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) says it is unhappy with a directive from the Ministry of Education that schools should close Friday to pave way for the hosting of a crucial Zanu PF congress in Harare and the youth games in Bulawayo.
The Zanu PF congress is penciled to begin next Tuesday and ends Sunday with some delegates expected to be housed at some schools in the capital.
Bulawayo is expected to host sports teams from 15 countries in the region coming to attend the Region 5 Youth Games scheduled to kick off from the 4th to the 15th of December. More than 4,000 athletes are expected to gather in the city of kings and queens.
PTUZ general secretary Raymond Majongwe says the development has affected the marking of end of year examinations and the processing of school reports, among other issues.
Majongwe says teachers were surprised to receive a circular signed by Ministry of Education permanent secretary, Sylvia Utete Masango, on Thursday advising headmasters that schools will close a week earlier than the scheduled December 4th.
Majongwe says this will force teachers from these two provinces to fast-track marking and producing reports.
