It’s time to open schools again

Besides Uganda, none of the other regional states still has her schools locked up because of Covid-19. Uganda has experienced a whooping and painstaking two years’ long period of indefinite school closure. Disturbing as it may, we neither have a clear plan, strategy, nor option. We are just living!

The closure of schools has had far-reaching impacts on the socio-economic wellbeing of this country. It has widened and deepened the economic divide. A certain class of the rich minorities have amassed more wealth, while the majority of the populace have slid back into the caves of a roaring and predatory monster called poverty. The middle class has narrowed and the economy has shuttered in a “phhewww” style.

The farmers are stuck with their maize and beans since their strong market base is still locked down. The people dealing in stationery are out of business and the entire national tax pool has totally dwindled. This is not to mention the obvious thousands of Ugandans out of the gainful employment in schools. 

The indefinite closure of schools is a deliberate closure of the economy. No wonder more shopping centers will keep closing. We only speak about the prominent ones; but truly, there are a couple of indigenous shopping centers that have closed following these closures. It is only plausible that some of these centers would’ve been resuscitated by a one or two school terms’ shopping sessions. 

That notwithstanding, the moment we chose to close schools indefinitely, we chose to surrender our children into the teeth of idle sexual scavengery. The figures as reported by media regarding the numbers of teenage pregnancies are captivatingly unthinkable. The president in justification however, argued that teenage pregnancy is quite bearable as compared to covid. He literally placed two evils on a scale, and still chose one evil. 

His debatable assumption was that death starts and ends with a complete blackout. He only forgets that these children who miss out on their right to education will lose their future potential to significantly offer a socio-economic contribution to this country. Ultimately, they become “Walking dead!”

The argument for closure of schools until full vaccination of teachers is much of a wild thought. Unless you convince us that teachers are the new established vectors of corona virus, preconditioning opening of schools to their full vaccination is quite disturbing. Actually, the parents of the children that we are purportedly protecting are all over the crowded areas of these urban centers, fending food and returning home for cool hugs from their children. 

Vaccination although very good, government should know that schools are organized units, that can act as coordinated vaccination centers of their workers. This is how Blood bank has been obtaining blood over the years!
Please open schools. Lest you risk being interpreted as a group that is weaponizing the virus against the education sector for a “no-one knows” crime. 

Derick Muloogi, Nawaikoke,  Kaliro District