Teachers tell govenment to fund SOPs when schools open

BY DAMALI MUKHAYE

Uganda National Teachers Association (Unatu) has asked government to meet the cost of implementing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in public schools when they reopen in two weeks, saying the capitation grant given to them is not enough.

Government has cleared schools to reopen for candidate classes and finalist students in universities and other institutions on September 20.

The Minister of Education, Ms Janet Museveni, in her September 2 letter addressed to the minister of Finance, Mr Matia Kasaija, asked him to release capitation grants to schools to enable them prepare for the phased reopening of schools starting with candidates and finalists classes.

Whereas universities and other tertiary institutions are set to welcome back their final-year students, the Secretary General of Unatu, Mr Filbert Baguma, told Daily Monitor by telephone that government-aided primary and secondary schools are not sufficiently prepared.

He said if schools are to be reopened this month, government should meet the cost of implementing the Covid-19 SOPs. “The preparedness on ground is not sufficient to reopen schools unless government sets aside some money to help schools to implement the SOPs. The capitation grants alone are not enough to enable reopening,” Mr Baguma said.
He also said the teachers want government to explain strategies that have been put in place to protect them from contracting Covid-19.

“Our teachers are ready to begin lessons but what strategies has the government put in place to ensure their safety. Some medical workers have become victims of Covid-19 and our teachers want to know that their safety is guaranteed and for learners,” Mr Baguma added.

Meanwhile, the national secretary of the Federation for Non-State Education Institutions (Fenei), Mr Patrick Kaboyo, said most private schools are ready to reopen because they have already put in place the SOPs set by the Ministry of Health.

Mr Kaboyo said most schools have bought foot operated hand-washing machines, soap and sanitisers asserting that social distancing will also be easy to achieve since candidate students are few.

He, however, asked the government to release the money it promised to give private teachers.

“Before we reopen, students should be given counselling to prepare them because some of them have been disoriented. The government should also release the funds it promised to give private teachers three months back,” Mr Kaboyo said.
Ms Museveni in her letter to Mr Kasaija noted that the meeting held on September 1 by the President and the National Covid-19 Taskforce resolved to reopen schools in a phased manner.

“It has been brought to my attention that the capitation grant for third term 2020 was not released to the schools in July, due to the fact that the institutions were still closed,” she said.

“On account of the position taken in the above stated meeting, this is therefore to request you to cause the release of funds to the beneficiary schools to prepare for the phased reopening of schools,” the letter further reads.

Last week, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) cleared institutions with finalist students and those undertaking medical courses to reopen on September 20 to enable students complete their programmes to avoid a gap in the human resources in the health sectors.

When contacted yesterday, the Public relation officer of Ministry of Finance, Mr Jim Mugunga, said the ministry will respond positively on Ms Museveni’s letter if they receive it.

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