Africa-Press – Uganda. As schools plan to reopen in January next year, after about two years of closure, questions loom on whether some teachers and students will return.
In March 2020,President Museveni announced a closure of all institutions of learning to prevent the spread of Covid-19, sending home about 15 million learners.
While a section of teachers; both in government and private institutions have started preparations, some teachers, especially those in the private sector, told Daily Monitor that they will not return to class, because they engaged in more lucrative ventures.
Some teachers on the other hand are worried that many learners may not resume studies due to pregnancies, employment or their parents can no longer afford to pay school fees after the pandemic.
According to data obtained from Unicef, between March 2020 and June, there was a 22.5 percent rise in teenage pregnancies among girls aged between 10 and 24.
Mr Alex Ssemwogerere, the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) President in Kyotera District, told Daily Monitor in an interview that most schools are likely to register fewer teachers compared to the required number.
“Only those teachers that are obsessed with teaching and really love the profession will return to class because many of them have moved on. This will really cause a serious problem in the sector and pupils stand to lose ,” he observed.
Mr Enos Isekambere, the director at Infant Preparatory Schools, is among the teachers in Kasese District who are undergoing refresher training.
He said teachers are being reminded on how to put the learners back into the mood of education.
“But the fact is many teachers seem to have lost morale due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many have switched to various business ventures,” he said.
Mr Robert Mugume, a teacher at Masindi Mixed Primary School, said he currently sells porridge in Masindi Town.
“I may not go back to school because I don’t want to lose my job of vending porridge, which has guaranteed my survival during the lockdown,” he said.
Mr Enos Mutanywana, the deputy head teacher at Kasese Primary School, said some of the learners will report when they are fully-grown and their academic performance could deteriorate.
“The learners’ performance is likely to be low because most of the learners were not revising their books and others had no chance to access study learning materials,” he said.
Mr Mutanywana said they are preparing to offer psycho-social support to the learners, especially those who lost their loved ones to coronavirus.
In Kabale, Mr Moses Niwaha, who was a teacher for 10 years, prides in his boda boda business.
“As a teacher in a private primary school, I was being paid Shs300,000 per month. But since I used my savings to buy a motorcycle for boda boda business, I earn about Shs20,000 per day, earning Shs600,000 at the month’s end. This means l have doubled my previous pay,” he said.
The Uganda National Teacher’s Union chairman, Mr Zadock Tumuhimbise, said although the Covid-19 lockdown has opened opportunities for teachers to do private business, they should not abandon the profession.
Mr Simon Lee Orikot, the deputy headteacher at Zesui Primary School in Mbale City, said he has embarked on revision and also drawn schemes of work ahead of time.
“I attended a training, which ended yesterday and we were retooled and I have started writing my scheme of work. We were advised to set up breastfeeding corners for learners with babies born during their long stay at home due to coronavirus-induced lockdown,” he said.
The Education Ministry last week brought the dark period to an end when it confirmed the reopening of schools in January 2022, releasing the calendar for the academic year after sufficient Covid-19 vaccination of the population and a decline in Covid-19 cases.
In Soroti, Mr Vincent Okiror, a primary teacher in Kamuda Primary School, said he will use the Christmas festival to start making teaching schemes.
Meanwhile, in Kwania District, Mr Ronald Okullo, a teacher at Alido Primary School, said he has been doing a lot of revision and is ready for school reopening.
The President promised a few months ago that he will reopen the schools and the economy fully next year, whether the required number of people are vaccinated or not. But the Education minister and First Lady Janet Museveni has vowed to block unvaccinated teachers when schools reopen.
About 8,878 out of the 550,000 teachers have shunned the vaccine. Blocking the 8,878 would make about 351,000 learners go without teachers given the teacher to pupil ratio of 1:43, which falls short of the recommended standard ratio of 1:25.
But Mr Filbert Bates Baguma, the general secretary of Uganda National Teachers’ Union, said: “It is only wise that the arrangement of vaccination continues so that if you report and you are not vaccinated, they vaccinate you at school or at a nearby health facility.”
Dr Denis Mugimba, the Ministry of Education spokesperson, told Daily Monitor that teachers and non-teaching staff in schools must decide whether they want to keep their jobs.
He said teachers and non-teaching staff who have received at least one dose would be allowed in school as they wait for their second dose.
“If any headteacher allows unvaccinated teacher or staff in school, he or she will be held accountable for contravening the Covid-19 SOPs for reopening schools,” he said.
The Education and Health ministries have also tasked schools to ensure they have a hygienic environment and facilities for Covid-19 prevention.
Mr Benedict Nkata, the headteacher of Hill Road Public school in Masaka City, said they have started repairing buildings and putting up more hand washing facilities.
“We are in contact with parents to know what children have managed to cover during the long holiday and also mobilising some funds to start putting announcements on radios to sensitise parents about the importance of returning pupils to school,” he added.
Mr George Asiimwe, a parent in Masaka City, told Daily Monitor that paying school fees for the children days after the festive season will be a hard task.
Compiled by Fred Wambede, Al –Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Ambrose Musasizi ,Malik Fahad, Simon Peter Emwamu, Santo Ojok, Alex Ashaba, Joel Kaguta, Robert Muhereza, Denis Edema, Milton Bandiho, Brian Adams Kesiime, Rajab Mukombozi, Felix Ainebyoona, George Omuron and Tonny Abet.
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