COVID-19 Update

The hardest thing about managing this crisis is the unknowns. In March we closed schools with fewer than 30 cases in Zambia and for a long time, the rate of increase was very small. As recently as April the World Health Organization was telling us not to bother with face masks. Until July, our planning was predicated on opening our campus in August. These actions and expectations have all been confounded by events. Schools have now been closed for over four months and there is understandable pressure on them to open but how can we open with over 6000 cases when we closed with less than 5% of that total? Face masks have gone from optional extra to the law of the land in many countries. When we closed we hoped that the situation would improve by August but instead conditions have deteriorated. It is not even clear to what extent the virus is affected by seasonal conditions.

We face a situation here in Zambia where the number of cases is rising and still showing an increasing increase - a geometric progression. We do not have the resources to deal with a major public health crisis nor to cushion the economic impact of it. The authorities - and indeed our board - are caught between a rock and a hard place: Open up and risk infection; close and risk financial ruin. I do not envy them this choice. At school, we have no alternative but to keep our campus closed until there is a substantial improvement in objective conditions. The government has instructed all but examination classes to remain off-campus. We have not only a legal obligation but also an ethical imperative to comply with this directive. Our board is understandably reluctant to endanger our students and staff by reopening prematurely and our first duty here at school - even above education - is to keep our people safe from harm. There is evidence that children, although less affected by the virus, are contributing to its spread.

The rate of increase of coronavirus cases will slow and the number will decrease in time. That will be the opportune moment to reopen our campus with proper precautions in place. I do not know exactly when this will be - another unknown - but I sincerely hope it will be rather soon. Until then we must soldier on as best we can: With the finest home-based learning support that we can provide and the most comprehensive preparations for safely opening campus that we can make. I am confident that our management and staff will once more prove themselves equal to both of these challenges. Our campus may be closed but our school is still open.

On August 11^th we will be returning to home-based learning informed by the lessons we learned in the last quarter. Over the following weeks we will begin to call our Year 13 and Year 11 students on to campus for specific activities such as science practical work. I expect that over time the frequency and scope of these on-campus activities will increase and in due course be extended to other year groups. We will see a gradual transition from home-based learning back to school-based learning rather than an abrupt change from 'closed' to 'open'. We are committed to supporting our students learning - whether at school or at home - for as long as it takes.

Keep safe.

Mark Fox