Teacher-student relations put to test as schools reopen

As schools reopen on Monday next week, some teachers in Busoga Sub-region have voiced concerns of their reunion with students.

In his televised speech on Friday last week, President Museveni, while announcing plans to lift Covid-19 containment measures that have been in place since March 2020, said pre-primary, primary and secondary schools will reopen on January 10.

While students and teachers are upbeat about the development, some teachers in Busoga have voiced concerns about this looming reunion.

A teacher in one of the prominent secondary schools on Monday said he is not bracing for a reunion with former students, but businessmen, businesswomen, mothers and fathers.

“During the two-year lockdown, one of my students was exposed to money when he traded in buying and selling copies of the Daily Monitor, New Vision and Bukedde newspapers,” the teacher said.

He added that when schools were reopened last year after the first lockdown, one of the students was found with Shs2m pocket money.

“We rang his father who explained that the son was co-managing the family’s business and that the money he had reported to school with was genuinely earned,” the teacher said.

Another teacher, who also requested anonymity, said during the lockdown, he relied on one of his students from a wealthy family for money, which he said pushed him through the turbulent times. He is, however, now faced with a dilemma on how to relate with this student when he reports on Monday.

“When I bumped into him on the streets, he offered me ‘lunch’, but on one occasion, we went to the bank to withdraw money and his account had Shs8m credit balance,” the teacher added.

Mr Wanambwa Makabuli, another teacher, said there is a code of conduct  that governs them. He said they are supposed to be role models to the students and pupils.

“We are taught not to create a scenario where we get money or favours from students; unfortunately, in some isolated cases, teachers opted to put such ethics aside and survival at the forefront of the lockdown,” he said.

There is also fear that the returning students will not show respect to their teachers, according to Mr Anthony Tinkamanyire, a teacher in one of the private schools in Western Uganda.

Mr Tinkamanyire said after enduring a hard time during the Covid-induced lockdown, he decided to set up a kiosk to fend for his family.

However, he was once accosted by one of his students who reportedly asked him, “Sir, is this (kiosk) all that you can get from the physics you have taught all these years?”

Concerned that the long-term impact of the disruption of the education cycle may exacerbate existing risk factors for violence, abuse, and neglect associated with childcare at home and in institutions, the government rolled out a teachers’ refresher course before Christmas, which ends today.

In Jinja, the training is being held at Jinja College.   Mr Eddie Etyang, one of the teachers who attended the course, said they were trained how to handle the learners, enhancing quality education, actions on disciplinary matters, including handling them in a ‘soft’ way.

The students have been away for close to two years.

“Teachers were urged not to victimise girls who gave birth and have overgrown, while being cautious of the language used while handling them. We have been told to use scientific means while teaching (intermarrying with IT  as opposed to story form),”  Mr Etyang added.

The training drew school proprietors, board of governors, head teachers, their  deputies and directors of Studies.

However, some private schools aren’t ready to reopen due to damaged infrastructure while some teachers aren’t willing to return to class due to being engaged in other income-generating activities.

Non-governmental organisations such as Kimanya Ngeyo trained teachers on language and how to integrate scientific skills while teaching under the theme “describing the world around us”.

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