Museveni to announce reopening date for schools tomorrow

President Museveni will on Wednesday announce the reopening date for schools for non-candidate classes.

This follows a Cabinet meeting on Monday which looked at various options both the scientists and Ministry of Education officials submitted after they failed to agree on permitting all learners back to school this term.

While education technocrats had proposed that all learners return to school, scientists under the national Covid-19 taskforce said it was risky at the moment and appealed that they wait until they have been vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health earlier said they expect first batch of vaccine between May and June.

They have budgeted for only nine million people with priority on frontline health workers, elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

Alex Kakooza, Ministry of Education permanent secretary, told Daily Monitor yesterday that the President would make his final say tomorrow.

“Wait for the announcement on Wednesday,” Mr Kakooza told Daily Monitor newspaper, adding that President Museveni would clear the air on the matter.

Dr Monica Musenero, the lead epidimiologist, said it isn’t wise to take chances without precautions because the virus has shifted to rural areas.

“November and December were very bad months. We run out of hospital space. The doctors were now in a very desperate situation. Who should I take off oxygen because one has to die. That is why we had to take drastic decision. At the moment, we can’t tell. We have seen a reduction in Covid-19 numbers through January but the testing could also be low,” Dr Musenero said on Sunday.

Last month, President Museveni asked all institutions of higher learning in Uganda to wait for more three months before reopening for non-finalist classes.

This was revealed by Prof Mary J. N okwakol, the Executive Director of National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).

In a letter dated 27, January, 2021, Prof Okwakol told all Vice Chancellors and Principals of Higher Education Institutions that NCHE was in receipt of a communication from President Museveni through the First Lady also Minister of Education Janet Kataha Museveni informing them to continue studying oline using ODel system for atleast three months to enable government find a lasting solution.

“The purpose of this letter therefore is to inform you of the current position of government and to encourage you to utilize the ODel system. All institutions that have not embraced the ODel system are encouraged to do so,”Prof Okwakol noted.

Schools were closed on March 20 last year following the outbreak of Covid-19. Several measures were then instituted including the lockdown to control further spread. But in June, government started easing the lockdown, later allowing candidate classes to report only if their institutions could implement a two-metre social distance between learners, among other standard operating procedures.