Heads of Schools and Education authorities in Kabale district have expressed worry that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by the ministry of Education and Sports preparing for the reopening of schools may not be implemented citing failure by government to provide money to enable the implementation.
On Wednesday, during a meeting with district Education Stakeholders in the district’s Rukiiko hall, Kabale municipality, the Assistant commissioner in Charge of private schools and institutions in the ministry of Education and sports George Mutekanga launched 27 SOPs to be followed by schools as they prepare for the reopening of of the institutions after five months of closure due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
The new SOPs for schools, include, every school forming a Covid-19 taskforce, daily and timely screening of temperatures of learners, compulsory wearing of face masks by both learners and teachers, creation of isolations rooms at every school, access to water by learners every time, daily disinfection of classroom floors, walls, furniture, toilets using soap and water, restricted access to schools and screening done at school gates and creation of adequate spaces at schools to accommodate recommended distance, single beds for one student, and keeping 2 meters between beds, lesson plans should include messages of Covid-19 at and the end of every lessons, among other.
The Kabale Acting district Education officer Moses Bwengye, the Kigezi Diocesean Education coordinator Ernest Baraibusya and chairperson of Kabale private schools Apollo Chance wondered how hand washing as a measure will be implemented in schools since most schools do not have constant water supply saying that the guideline may only work well in urban schools but not in rural areas.
The Kabale municipal principal Education officer Grace Munyambabazi, said that schools do not have money to buy temperature guns to help in temperature screening and they also do not have expertise in using the temperature guns. They now need government to avail money to help in the implementation of SOPs.
The Assistant commissioner in Charge of private schools and institutions in the ministry of Education and sports George Mutekanga said that Chief Administrative officers should give capitation grants to government schools to enable them prepare and put in place all SOPs which are needed by the ministry. He urged private schools to engage parents to contribute some money in order to implement the set guidelines.
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