• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

OFWONO OPONDO: Education; Schools demanding an arm and leg from Parents!

Watchdog Uganda by Watchdog Uganda
3 years ago
in Conversations with, Op-Ed
17 1
Ofwono Opondo

Ofwono Opondo

ShareTweetSendShare

Kindergarten, primary and secondary school gates flung open on Monday 10th January after eighty three months’ Covid-19 induced closure by government, with many including government owned ones across the country seemingly unprepared in physical sense, judging by the photographs published on various media platforms.

The bushy, un-kept compounds, dusty and classrooms under cobweb, some with falling ceilings and wooden struts, doors and windows visibly off their hinges, furniture thrown about were pathetic sights and indictment to administration among school heads and management committees. This is especially so because head-teachers knew, a month ago from previous presidential pronouncements that they would be opening in mid January, and money was actually sent to their respective bank accounts to facilitate preparations.

President Yoweri Museveni had in early December 2021, publicly stated that all education levels and institutions, and the whole economy would be fully opened in January 2022 regardless of Covid19 vaccination levels among teachers, students and the general population following months persuading and cajoling the public without much success to get the jabs for their own safety.

There’s not going to be mandatory testing of pupils and students for covid19 as a precondition for them to return to schools, although some head teachers and their boards had devised this half-clever way to raise funds from the unsuspecting parents and guardians. In some cases schools asked through circulars for fees between 20,000 and 200,000 purportedly for Covid19 testing at the school.

In other instances, schools directed parents to specific medical labs with whom deals had been struck. All this was an ingenuity to circumvent the ministry of education directive that school fees should not be raised considering the economic and financial turmoil parents had gone through in the last two years of Covid19 lockdown.

Undeterred however, and exploiting previous laxity and internal weaknesses within the ministry of education systems, school boards, PTAs and Religious Foundation Bodies have shown that they don’t have the compassion expected of them for their parents and students. Many foundation bodies especially the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Muslim have shoved rough shoulders and imposed hefty dues under the guise of development projects which should have been halted as the economy recovers gradually.

It borders on insensitivity for schools to ask parents to pay for bank loans rather than negotiating scheduling repayment terms, purchasing school bus or truck, construction of a head teachers house or school parameter wall, all which could be deferred to the future.

And now after two years of lost time, schools have resumed without anything substantially creative or innovative from our scientists for which they have been given undeserved accolades for regurgitating the prescriptions from developed societies whose social makeup is far different from that of Uganda. This should be the time for government provided face masks or waiving school fees for students in public schools but alas.

It may be stating the inconvenient truth that the stiff-necked Uganda scientists especially at the health ministry haven’t done a thorough job although we had to follow them down their naïve copycat route. The money raised during this covid19 episode appears to have been gobbled because health facilities haven’t substantially improved to deliver the desired levels and quality of services.

While they say that the decision for schools and economy to open is based on science, there is no doubt that move is timely, from social and political perspectives and considerations. With Uganda being the only country in the world, let alone the region, with the longest school closure duration, we could no longer stand the heat, more so when credible explanations have been non-existence or feeble and inconsistence at best.

As talk now turns to how we can live with Covid19 and its various variants of Delta, Omicron and possibly others yet to emerge, the latest sigh of relief will be accompanied by the hope schools and everyday life are back for good with practicing cautious optimism.

As pressure has been growing on the government, President Museveni in is his December 31, 2021 address set out steps how Uganda can begin to live safely with Covid19 and loosen restrictions although he put a caveat that he could lockdown if infections, hospital admission and deaths became threatening. Meanwhile Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng insists the restrictions have helped curtail Covid19 infections and spread, it also mitigated the impacts with positive cases generally on the decline although her updates that appear alarmist rather than settling the minds.

It’s hard to see how vaccination pace improves after the economy opens fully by January’s end, when hesitancy has been rife under lockdown. Many people think that the outlook is better now not due to government restrictions, but because Covid19 isn’t as serious, looking across the region and Africa. A new phase of the pandemic must mean a new approach because surely people can no longer live their lives waiting to hear on an ad hoc basis what the rules will be if government cannot provide timely pro-active advise. It’s important that every person and family develop additional SOPs suitable for their surroundings.


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
Share4Tweet2SendShare

Related Posts

Op-Ed

AKANSASIRA JUNIOR VICTOR: GEN. MUSEVENI’S GUIDANCE ON THE BALAALO ISSUE IS A GENERATIONAL CALL TO DISCIPLINE, PATRIOTISM, AND ORDER

10th July 2025 at 11:20
Dr. Ayub Mukisa (Ph.D.)
Conversations with

Dr. Ayub Mukisa: Does Karamoja need “wealth creation” or “value addition” on the already available wealth?

10th July 2025 at 10:07
Joshua Kato
Business

JOSHUA KATO: Tax Amnesty re-introduced – A timely opportunity for businesses

10th July 2025 at 09:47
Next Post

Operation Shuja Commander Gen Muhanga inspects under-construction ferry that will connect Uganda to DRC

  • Prostitution in Uganda- Courtesy Photo

    10 dangerous hotspots known for prostitutes in Kampala

    1126 shares
    Share 450 Tweet 282
  • Silent Billionaire Bosco Muwonge Buys Mukwano Arcade at UGX 250 Billion Cash Down

    49 shares
    Share 20 Tweet 12
  • Who is Bosco Muwonge, Uganda’s elusive real estate billionaire?

    37 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 9
  • LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

    2289 shares
    Share 916 Tweet 572
  • Uganda’s Billionaires 2025: Once Again Sudhir Ruparelia Leads a Resilient Pack

    48 shares
    Share 19 Tweet 12
Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Latest News

Truth Revealed: Jinja City Council Clarifies On Shs4.2 Billion Return To Treasury 

10th July 2025 at 19:35
Mashable is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company For more queries and news contact us on this Email: info@mashablepartners.com

Check out

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Minister Muruli Mukasa

LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

24th May 2020 at 10:45
Pregnant woman

Shock as 17-year old boy impregnates his two sisters during Covid-19 lockdown 

17th June 2020 at 08:17
Sudhir Ruparelia is the undisputed king of Kampala

Billionaire Sudhir’s wisdom on how to invest in real estate

0

How a boy’s destiny turned from cotton grower to communications guru

0

Truth Revealed: Jinja City Council Clarifies On Shs4.2 Billion Return To Treasury 

10th July 2025 at 19:35
NUP leaders

NUP’s Pragmatic Pivot: Sending a Bipartisan Treasurer to IPOD

10th July 2025 at 19:29

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda