After spending six months under lock and key due to novel Corona Virus Disease –COVID19, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has this evening ordered education institutions to resume with candidates and finalists’ classes.
Museveni closed all institutions of learning on March 18 in order to prevent the spread of COVID19. The pupils and students have been at home for the last six months but candidates in primary and secondary schools including finalists in institutions of higher learning have been allowed to resume with studies on October 15.
“We have decided to re-open schools for the candidate classes of P-7, S-4, S-6, finalists in tertiary colleges and finalists in Universities. Why? Number one, we think that it is safe because the finalists in each learning institution are a much smaller number compared to the total enrollment in these Centres,” Museveni said.
Government estimates there is 1.2million learners in candidate classes and final years at various institution of higher learning. The 1.2 finalist learners according to Museveni translates to 10 percent out of the total of 15million learners in primary, secondary, tertiary and universities.
For learners and teachers who are likely not to go back to their private schools due to financial predicaments caused by COVID19, Museveni said they should be incorporated in government schools.
“If for some reasons, there are private schools that cannot re-open on account of the obvious disruption of the business of the Private Schools, the Ministry of Education is already directed to expand the number of secondary schools,” Museveni said.
At least 374 new schools will be constructed according to Museveni in order to accommodate more learners and teachers. The President has also directed Ministry of Education to study the number of community schools that the Government can take over in the areas that do not have Government Secondary Schools.
However, education institution have been urged to respect Standard Operation Procedures -SOPs intended to keep learners safe. These include wearing masks, having handwashing centres in and outside school premises, temperature guns and isolating learners with Covid19 related symptoms.