HARARE, 7 September 2026 — As schools across Zimbabwe prepare to reopen for the third term on Tuesday, 8 September, the National Education Summit Zimbabwe (NESZ) has called on the entire education community to make the safety, wellbeing and successful return of learners and educators a shared national responsibility.
The beginning of a new school term is an important moment for learners, teachers, school leaders, parents and education stakeholders. It is also a period when thousands of learners travel across the country to return to schools, including boarding institutions.
NESZ therefore urges all schools to prioritise safe, secure and supportive learning environments throughout the term.
School authorities, teachers and administrators have a responsibility to ensure that learners return to environments where their safety, dignity and wellbeing are protected. This includes appropriate safeguarding measures, responsible supervision, safe infrastructure, effective communication and a school culture that supports both learning and wellbeing.
Transport safety must remain a priority
NESZ particularly urges school transport operators, drivers and institutions responsible for transporting learners to exercise the highest standards of road safety.
Vehicles transporting learners must be roadworthy, properly maintained, appropriately licensed and fit for the number of passengers being carried. Overloading must be avoided, and learners should never be transported in conditions that compromise their safety.
Drivers have an equally important responsibility. Speeding, reckless overtaking, negligent driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and other violations of road regulations place young lives at unnecessary risk.
Motorists are also urged to exercise increased caution around schools, pedestrian crossings, bus stops and residential areas where learners are likely to be present.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has similarly urged parents, schools and transport operators to prioritise learner safety, ensure vehicles are roadworthy, avoid overloading and observe road regulations as schools reopen.
A shared responsibility
Learner safety does not begin and end at the school gate.
Parents and guardians have a role to play in ensuring that children use safe transport and understand basic safety precautions when travelling to and from school. Schools must maintain effective safeguarding and emergency procedures, while communities and motorists must recognise the heightened responsibility that comes with sharing roads and public spaces with schoolchildren.
Teachers, meanwhile, remain central to creating safe and supportive learning environments. Their responsibility extends beyond classroom instruction to the protection, welfare and development of the learners entrusted to their care.
As Zimbabwe enters the final academic term, NESZ calls on all stakeholders to work collectively to protect instructional time, promote learner wellbeing and ensure that schools remain places of safety, opportunity and excellence.
The national education agenda cannot be separated from the wellbeing of those who participate in it.
NESZ wishes all learners, teachers, school leaders, administrators, parents and education stakeholders a safe, productive and successful third term.
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National Education Summit Zimbabwe (NESZ)
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