Learners, parents lose hope as government moves to reopen primary, secondary schools next year

Primary and secondary schools are likely to be reopened next year in January.

This is according to a source who attended a Thursday meeting by the National Covid-19 Taskforce, Ministry of Education , Health Ministry and other Education stakeholders. The meeting was aimed at forging a way forward on the safe reopening of schools.

“The meeting resolved to have the vaccination exercise heightened for teachers in schools before they reopen because of the projection of a looming covid-19 third wave. If the vaccination is achieved, then it will be much safer to have learners go back to school. Another target for the vaccination are the parents of the learners who hold a high risk of infection and that way, we’ll be able to contain the virus in the event that it resurges,”” the source said.

“Learners in primary and secondary schools will have to wait for 10 January, 2022.”

The source also disclosed that universities and other tertiary institutions will resume on-campus business on November 20th this year.

Last month, President Yoweri Museveni turned down proposal to have schools reopened in October, 2021.

Dr Dennis K. Mugimba, the Ministry of Education spokesperson, said ministries of education and health, and the Covid-19 national taskforce had proposed that schools reopen next month, but Museveni said the dates are too near given the looming threat of the third wave of Covid-19.

“Given the emerging realities of [low] vaccination rate of teachers, non-teaching staff and students above 18 years, the President asked us to rethink another date and report back next week,” Dr Mugimba said recently.

“His argument was that the last time government reopened schools, learners took back the infections to their parents and a number of them lost their lives.”