Government releases new calendar for schools

Government yesterday released a new school calendar which will spill over into next year after President Museveni bowed to pressure on Sunday to reopen education institutions.
Mr Alex Kakooza, the Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary, confirmed yesterday that schools will start on October 15 for second term and close in mid-December. Third term will begin in mid-January and end in April.
“We are just trying to reopen. We cannot guarantee that children will not get sick. But education is a shared responsibility. All of us are expected to join hands and see how it works. Ensure that you wash hands regularly, don’t touch in the soft parts because the virus might be here for three years,” Mr Kakooza said.
Earlier, parents Daily Monitor spoke to were skeptical on whether they will send their children to school when the term opens. They demanded to know from government the new school roadmap for the remaining academic year and wondered how Covid-19 cases will be managed once children report to school.
The parents’ puzzle is that the President’s communication on Sunday did not indicate whether the term will be a continuation of first term, when it will close and the subsequent terms to complete the academic year. It was also silent on the tuition fees parents had already paid in the uncompleted first term and Covid-19 case management if they arose once children are at school.
Some parents with candidates have started sending their children who will not be reporting to school soon to their villages.
“It is tricky for me as a parent. What happens when schools are closed again? Will they refund our fees or they will tell us to forego the money as they told us in first term?” Ms Ayebare Doreen, a parent, said.
However, Mr Kakooza said the ministry cannot guarantee anything because their budget is limited but appealed to the public to support government as they experiment the phased reopening.

Stakeholder speaks
Mr James Jjuuko, a head teacher at Kisugu Primary School and Kampala Primary School Head teachers Association chairperson, appealed for government support.
He said to maintain social distancing in a school set up, they will require more teachers who they don’t have now.
“This is an added cost. We are going to have 15 children in every classroom. My Primary Seven class has 110 candidates. It means I need eight classrooms for only one class and eight teachers. These teachers need allowances for travel and housing. You need a secretary, a bursar, cleaner, cooks, guards and bursars. The children will be few and their fees cannot pay for all these demands. It is worse in private schools,” Mr Jjuuko said.
The chairperson National Private Schools Association, Mr John Bosco Mujjumba, said while they appreciate the parents’ concerns, there is no guarantee that the virus is going away soon.
He called upon government to relieve parents by paying the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) fees to enable every learner sit the examinations. Uneb charges Shs34, 000 for every Primary Seven candidate, Shs164, 000 for Senior Four students and Shs186,000 for Senior Six candidates.
“Uneb will be asking us to pay for our children. Parents don’t have money. Some lost jobs and have been at home. Children in private schools are also government children. The government should intervene. It will be difficult asking children to pay for these exams when they don’t have the money,” Mr Mujjumba said.

Need for sensitisation
Mr Filbert Baguma, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union secretary, said government has not sensitised the parents on what to expect when schools reopen, which is likely to scare them away from sending their children to school.
President Museveni warned business owners on Sunday that those who fail to follow the standard operating procedures and their clients will contract the virus. He added that such a trend will scare away people and automatically paralyse business.