Minister of Higher Education Dr. Brian Mushimba has announced that universities will open on 8 June and TEVET institutions on 1 July to allow students in their final year sit for their examinations. Squatting has been abolished to meet social distance requirements in the COVID 19 era. Visitation to learning institutions has also been abolished by government to prevent the spread of COVID 19 in learning institutions.

Students will be required to buy their own masks, hand sanitizers and soap. Foreign students will continue with e-learning and write their examinations online. Non graduating students will continue with e-learning until further notice. Surveying of cases in collaboration with other relevant institutions will be done to monitor compliance to COVID 19 guidelines. The cautious approach to reopening will be reviewed to ensure students are not put in harm's way.

TEVET assessments and examinations for April will held in July and July and December assessments and examinations will be combined in December. The reopening applies to both private and public learning institutions in the country. The learning institutions will be granted certificates to reopen by relevant government institutions to ensure appropriate preventative measures are adhered to across the country.

The key guidelines the Minister outlined as colleges and universities reopen are:

- Temperature checks at entry gates

- Provision of hand washing facilities at all entrances of hostels , lecture rooms, labs, administration built building

- Restriction of students to 2 per room in hostels

- Restricting visitors on campus

- Closing social clubs and amenities

- Peer to peer monitoring of compliance to COVID -19 guidelines

- Regular inspections of hostels to ensure compliance

- Regular cleaning, disinfection of buildings and surrounding areas.

Examination sessions for TEVET has been reduced to two (2) this year following the closure of training institutions on 20 March as a preventative measures against the spread of COVID 19. Examinations that were scheduled for April/May will be held from 27 July - 7 August. Examinations scheduled for July/August and November/December will be combined and held from 8 - 23 December. 

RE-SITS

Students with arrears they intended to re-sit for in April/May or July/August will re-sit for them during the July/August and November/December examinations respectively. The time tabling for November/December examination will give students an opportunity to sit for both their arrears and the principle/terminal examinations. The examination session for November/December will be longer to accommodate re-sitting for arrears and sitting for terminal examinations.

Students with carryover subjects should register for both re-sitting and terminal examinations for the combined sessions (July/August and November/December) to be sat for in November/December examinations. Time tables will be posted on the website and shared on Facebook and Twitter next week after revising them. Students are urged to prepare sit for both their arrears and terminal examinations as they reopen.