Schools in Uganda have finally been reopened after a closure that lasted for close to two years since March 2020.
The learning institutions in the East African country were closed after the country recorded cases of corona virus. The measure was taken so as to prevent further spread of the disease.
According to a statement from the ministry of education, schools will be reopened in phases so as to avoid congestion in the country’s capital Kampala.
“All learners in boarding schools in the districts of Wakiso, Mpigi, Mukono, and Kampala shall follow a staggered reporting plan with effect from Monday 10, January, 2022. No boarding Students in the concerned districts shall report for school earlier than January, 10, 2022,” read a statement from the ministry.
The state minister for higher education John Muyingo said that all students will automatically resume classes a year above from where they left off.
“All schools have implemented guidelines and standard operating procedures to ensure the safe return of children to schools, and measures have been put in place to ensure those who don’t comply do so,” he told AFP.
He further cautioned private schools against demanding school fees higher than what was being paid before the pandemic.
Education Minister, Janet Museveni said that remedial classes should be conducted during the first term of 2022 so as to cover crucial topics missed in their previous classes.
“Remedial lessons shall be provided for these learners [in their new classes] during first term 2022 to help them cover critical content for the previous class,” Museveni said.
The ministry has however not issued any restrictions on the number of students required in a class.
The closure of schools in Uganda has been described as the longest in the world since the onset of the pandemic.
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