Just In : Education Minister Janet Museveni to meet heads of schools and Institutions on re-opening

The Minister of Education and Sports First Lady Ms Janet Museveni is set to meet heads of schools and institutions on the 17th July at State House Entebbe. Whisper Eye Reports

Uganda president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in June summoned the Cabinet to make a decision on the issue of re-opening of schools amidst increasing cases of Covid-19 victims in the country.

According to sources intimate to Whisper Eye news, said that the new
meeting is expected tomorrow Friday, to discuss and make a final decision on the phased reopening of schools and higher institutions of learning.

President Museveni, in his last Covid-19 state of the Nation address, promised to reopen schools starting with candidate classes.

The long waited opening of schools was to be approved by all stakeholders and extensive assessment as per the situation in the country.

Mr Museveni tasked the Ministry of Education to present the proposals before Cabinet for debate and final endorsement .

A reliable source in the ministry intimated to Whisper Eye, that the key proposal on table is to start with Candidate classes (P 7, S 4 and S 6).

Then finalists in higher institutions such as colleges, technical schools and universities.

The re-openning of schools faced with the challenge of health restrictions which must be observed for any school to open up.

Some of the health conditions are that schools must renovate buildings, build new ones to create more space in classrooms and dormitories, provide masks for all students and teachers.

Then a school is required to test all teachers and students before allowing them at school.

Private school owners are complaining about the test kits which are too expensive and yet they have been not working for the last three months.

“We have made serious losses, and now we have spent three months without operating,’ says a private school owner.

” Our teachers demand their pay, and we are un able to pay them. Parents are crying too, the government must come up with a detailed solution as it prepare to re-open schools, he added.”

This comes exactly 4 months since President Museveni closed all education institutions on 18th March 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19 amongst the over 15 million leaners.

Despite the numerous plans that came along during the lockdown to re-open schools, the increasing number of COVID-19 cases couldn’t see these plans come to life.

Mr Ismail Mulindwa, the Director of Basic and Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education yesterday re-assured the public that there’s still hope for re-opening of schools despite the increasing cases of Covid-19.

This, he said at the National Dialogue aimed at mitigating the negative impact of the pandemic on Education.

“I can assure the public that the Ministry of Education still has plans for the re-opening of schools regardless of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases” Mulindwa revealed.

On Friday, June 12, Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo, the state minister in charge of higher education, confirmed some of the proposals but did not give details.