Schools are to reopen in Uganda by January 10th, 2022, and all is set. So back to school dates are set but who is going back to school and how is it going to be done. Are the schools ready to accommodate the students? Are teachers ready to teach that is if they are there? Students from pre-primary, primary, secondary, and institutions are meant to open after two years of closer on the 10 of January 2022. They are meant to study for 43 weeks in a year each term going for 14 weeks. And have their holidays for 13 weeks. The announcement was made on the 15 of December 2021. They argued that when schools open all teachers and non-teaching staff plus those students above 18 years to be vaccinated.
The closure of schools due to the increased spread of COVID-19 in people. Minister of education and sports Janet Museveni defended the policy to keep schools closed to protect the estimated 15million students from the threat posed by COVID-19. The government embarked on the vaccination of teachers and other non-teaching staff. During the pandemic, the government ensured continuity of learning through the provision of home-study materials and radio and television but not all students got access to it.
The ministry argued schools against an arbitrary increase of school charges as the learners are coming from families that have also been facing a tough time. The ministry of education figures shows 1.1 million learners completed primary seven, senior four, and senior six. And those who were in universities and tertiary institutions have graduated.
Plans are set but let’s talk the facts.
Schools are set to have a shortage of teachers as schools look forward to reopening up. So many schools as they closed due to COVID-19 they were u able to pay these teachers by that time. Those in private schools received messages “No more payments until when schools open.” So many teachers were left to starve and be chased out of their homes since the source of money was closed. It reached a point where teachers started begging parents to give them something to eat
Many teachers had to find jobs to earn some money since there was not any light when schools will be opened. They worked in jobs like making chapatis, washing clothes in the neighborhood, some become farmers and others decided to go to Dubai to work. Many have been successful in their businesses where they get good money. They are not willing to go back to teaching leaving their business. Those in farming say that they have a ready market for their products. So they have transformed from teaching to farming. So where are the teachers who are going to attend to learners in school? What quality of learners is going to be produced.
SCHOOLS
About 40% of Uganda’s primary schools and 60% of its secondary are private institutions, run by individuals, religious organizations, charities, and businesses. Their main income is through school fees which cover all the running costs. These include the teachers’ salaries which range from ($100) 350,000 to (250) 880,000 Uganda shillings a month. Some private schools offer high-quality education and have good facilities. As schools were closed due to COVID-19 many had got loans to sustain the schools hoping they would pay using the payments of school fees. Therefore many have been put out for sale due to failure to pay loans of the bank. The government’s promises to assist private school teachers have gone unfulfilled. No one knows if all schools will be in a position to open up by January 10th.
Let’s talk about the parents
Parents are the breeders of the school fees and providers of the students. The school fees range from shillings 100,000 to shillings 2,000,000. Many parents lost their jobs during the COVID-19 and they are looking north and west to get the school fees ready come January 10. And many parents are not willing to take their kids back to 0school due to financial difficulties. So the question comes up how many parents will have the full fees for the children in schools.
The big factor comes up the students
Children were safe in schools but when the closing of schools due to COVID-19 every changed. According to the National Planning Authority says that 30 percent of students are expected not to return to their school decks in January due to teen pregnancy, early marriage, and child labor. The more than 80-week school shutdown has done more harm than good. This was said by the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) General secretary Filbert Baguma. Many girls got pregnant, got married off and others got jobs and started earning money. Some girls have two children in two lockdowns.
The cultural norms and the stigma can make the girls ashamed of going back to school while pregnant or even being married. Although some would wish to go back to school some were chased away from home and had no stable job to provide school fees.
Boys are not also spared from the impact of the school shutdown with many in the child labor market. They have been working in mining, street vending, making bricks, and sugarcane planting. They are touching money so they see no reason to go back to school. It’s very hard to convince these children to go back to school as they see no valve in schooling again. So which children are going back to school?
How we help
Love Uganda Foundation and its partners (Tuyambe.org and Volunteering in Uganda) are working towards ensuring that teenage mothers go back to school and the boys. Or get a skill that can help them start up a business of their own. Offering guidance and counseling to all those who are unable to go back to school and those willing to.
But all these cannot be done by us alone and the partners. You can offer a hand by donating for a course, sponsoring a child, and also volunteering. Let’s work towards keeping a child in school with a skill.