Tuesday , March 19 2024
Home / COVID-19 Updates / Parliament queries planned reopening of schools

Parliament queries planned reopening of schools

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has directed the Minister of Education and Sports to immediately provide a clear plan of re-opening schools amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The directive followed a statement by the Minister of State for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo about the planned phased reopening of schools starting with students in candidate classes as well as finalists in tertiary institutions and universities on October 15 as announced by President Yoweri Museveni in his last address to the country on Sunday.

Muyingo said that government planned to provide every learner with at least two face masks as they report back to schools. He also noted that the Ministry was scaling up digital learning to ensure that all students across the country are covered and that the plans by the Ministry equally capture the concerns of the special interest groups.

However, Soroti County MP Kenneth Esiangu questioned why the government was in the rush to open schools at a time when the country is registering high numbers of COVID-19 cases yet the schools had been closed before a single case was registered.

“When Covid-19 cases were few, the government closed schools. Now that they have increased, the government has decided to reopen schools. We are remaining with approximately two months to end the year, why would the government choose to reopen schools?” he asked.

As of September 22, 2020, Uganda has registered 6,879 positive COVID-19 cases. Out of these, 69 have died.

But Sarah Opendi, the State Minister of Mineral Development appealed to legislators to support the government’s planned re-opening of schools in a phased manner saying that there was no guarantee that they will have a vaccine for COVID-19 by early next year. According to Opendi, COVID-19 should not permanently stop operations of the country.

The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga tasked the Minister to explain why government reached a decision to reopen schools at the end of the year and what the Ministry of Education plans to do to schools that were used as quarantine centres. She also wondered why the Ministry was proceeding without a proper plan after failing to deliver on its planned e-learning system.

Kadaga then directed that the Minister of Education meets the Education Committee to synchronize the gaps in the government’s planned re-opening of schools.

******

URN

24 comments

  1. To be honest, ugandans are now going to die the more when schools re-open because the pandemic has increased among people.There will be no teacher-learner relationship hence no learning will take place because of the fear of the infection.So,gov’t should be patient until next year as we study the situation than sending students to schools to infect or to infected by the pandemic.

  2. The government is confused they want children to die because when cases were low they refused to open but now that they are many they want to open meaning they know that covid 19 in Uganda is a myth

  3. I proposed schools opening is best next year, since the no of Covid-19 cases are increasing daily and deaths are realized almost daily. it will be worst to gather learners from Different Districts with un-known status in a school. E.g. Kampala most hit having learners from most of the Districts in the country. it is really a risky situation. The best now is to prepare the school environment to adapt to the era of Covid-19 i.e. provision of water, hand-washing facilities, spraying/disinfection, fencing and purchase of temperature guns and recruitment of key staff i.e askaris, cooks etc. Enough time should be given to school authority to have the school fit for learners in the era of Covid-19 I feel if we ignore this, numerous deaths and rise in positive cases will be realized. what about schools being used as isolation centers, enough time should be given to them to prepare the schooling environment. inspection should be done before learners report for schooling to ensure their safety. Death can not wait but studies can, there is no big gap in service delivery in the country, otherwise most educated are at home without jobs. please lets wait

  4. I don’t really understand the president, in fact its more suicidal to open schools now as the numbers of Covid-19 cases are increasing, have really failed to understand as to why the president has suggested to open schools now when even we started to register deaths i don’t know what he’s targeting to do with our students. As the cases were few he used to pretend as if he cares about our students but now he’s acting weird and wild to send our students back in schools me i can now refer him as a terrorist or it even comes in my minds to even think that Covid-19 isn’t there in our country because we cant start registering deaths and increasing cases then you think of reopening please lets stop these games Mr President

  5. Lets be realistic, schools reopening does not bring covid to Uganda or make covid stronger i think covid does not target students and teachers. And where will the learners and staff get covid if not from the community, educational institutions should declare that they do not income and the dead year is declared based on that, when will it be a right time a summing covid goes up to mid 2021 .

    • I totally agree with you Agnes and all the writters. When we had only heard of COVID19 entering the country we panicked and went into total lockdown.
      To say it right, even the donations from well wishers for COVID19 were squandered overnight. The cases are now surging with double digits and what do we find?
      Ugandans bunching in politics; a rush to reopen schools, including bars, maybe shortly. What about if the learners get to school and meet death? Death cannot wait but other activities like education can.
      We need to answer some very pertinent issues that partain COVID19 before plugging into the worst case scenario.
      On my part, this is folly of man.
      We need to return to GOD by reconciling with HIM in Repentance.

  6. I totally agree with you Agnes and all the writters. When we had only heard of COVID19 entering the country we panicked and went into total lockdown.
    To say it right, even the donations from well wishers for COVID19 were squandered overnight. The cases are now surging with double digits and what do we find?
    Ugandans bunching in politics; a rush to reopen schools, including bars, maybe shortly. What about if the learners get to school and meet death? Death cannot wait but other activities like education can.
    We need to answer some very pertinent issues that partain COVID19 before plugging into the worst case scenario.
    On my part, this is folly of man.
    We need to return to GOD by reconciling with HIM in Repentance.

  7. I think schools still need more time to prepare for re opening because schools just like other sectors have been affected economically and for them to open, they need support. Most of then have been crying because of loans that they’ve not paid yet, How will they get whatever is needed to cater for the staff and the students in this covid-19 era the proper way as required by the ministry of Health. Let the government support the schools with acquiring the basics to prevent acquiring the virus or give them this time till the end of the year to try their level best to prepare themselves. A lot of pressure is put on schools and the private schools will load in it to the parents by increasing school dues so as to meet the needs

  8. Am surprised by police makers, which classes are the candidates going to fill after the national exams? Instead of interfering with the curriculum, they should have waited for next year after all covid is still here and spreading.

  9. My name is Mulangiira Geoffrey a Kiu finalist medicine,,, the fact if covid 19 is serious then I wish museveni not to open schools now !!!save us because we are the next doctors!!!!!!! My president please

  10. Deogracious Wiyacungu

    Why would you risk reopening of schools when the cases are just increasing. The year is about to end,reopening schools for finalists will somehow in away disorganize the other classes like senior one. Why cant we all wait till next year,because no one is certain the vaccines will be ready or not but having hope and being more careful could help us stay longer other than risk without knowing what lies ahead,who knows,the government might have to close the schools again in regrets. Why risk the lives of the students. Think again leaders.

  11. Is better to be patient as the government look for a better ways of reopening schools.They should not risk or do it out of pressure. Patience pays but pain it is real

  12. There is no Harry in Africa. I think the president should have first consulted the education committee on the mater of reopening schools. Other than making arush decisión. some parents may even fear to send their children to school let us be just life has no spare part

  13. They did a great mistake to close schools early neglecting boards to opperate schools would be the last to be closed and put there more effort on boards. How can you open schools with all these increased numbers of the virous.

  14. I wonder the type of MPs we have in Uganda. Someone can not know that schools were closed to set away of handling the pandemic regardless of the numbers . we started to prepare how to avoid and now we can , no matter what number of infections we must open.
    Please Parliament, there is no specific month of graduation nor a specific month for getting employed. Whether u end studies in January or April or any other month of the year ,it makes no differences.
    Infact , all children should go back to schools normally .
    Stop wasting people’s time as the mafias enjoy the results of the pandemic on the expense of innocent Ugandans .

  15. 1. Finalists are as human as the rest of the students 2. The progression of the school year can only be disrupted by splitting the student body into finalists and the rest. Imagine if the p.7 class students qualify for S.1 where will they be as the old S.1 completes the same year. 3. Jesus teaches that the love of money is the source of evil! Let us all be mindful of our actions and decisions. God bless Uganda.

  16. Twinamatsiko Bronson

    The government what is doing to open sch at this time is wrong most learners are got covid and most sch will not afford due luck of funds so would be next year for the future of our children

  17. We are going to be specimens for the country, but it’s not fare to sacrifice the innocent Ugandan student because of hidden desires of a few government officials

  18. I think we should blame less the president for that bad decision rather, the big blame should be put on his cabinet that misleads him

  19. I think we should blame less the president for that bad decision rather, the blame should be put on his cabinet that misleads him.

  20. Save our children Mr president.let us prepare for next year. I just recovered from covid my self and I wouldn’t wish for anyone to experience it.

  21. I wish there is another spare part of life coz what we’re playing with can’t be got back once it is lost , my ugandan’s let’s rise and defend our dear rights.can the dead sit for examination, thanks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *