Cabinet orders schools to shut down

Following a protracted Cabinet meeting on Monday, the Executive has passed a resolution to close all Pre-primary, primary and secondary schools for third term on November 28, 2022.

The meeting was chaired by the President, and attended by quorum of ministers like Education Minister Janet Kataha Museveni among others. The resolution was made to prevent the further spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease.

It also comes as schools in the Kampala Metropolitan Area including Green Valley Primary School and Gods Will Primary School in Lubaga Division have registered over six cases of Ebola.

The Minister of State for Education & Sports (Primary Education) Joyce Moriku Kaducu told journalists on Tuesday, at the Uganda Media Center that institutions of learning that schools are expected to close on December 9, 2022, for third term to avoid congestion and congregating.

Kaducu has also tasked school administrators to use the time between the closure and 2023 to decontaminate schools in preparation for reopening next year.

Kaducu says the Ministry of Education will liaise with the Ministry of Transport and Works to issue guidelines for learners as they return home in two weeks time to avoid congestion at bus and taxi parks.

She adds that the Ministry of Health is putting together guidelines for learners returning from schools to isolated districts hit by Ebola.

Cabinet orders schools to shut down

“The Ministry will issue guidelines on the safe return of learners especially in the districts of Mubende and Kassanda,” she says

Last week , Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, during an interview on National TV proposed that schools be closed earlier to control the spread of Ebola.

She stated that it is difficult for learners to observe Standard Operating Procedures including hand washing, extreme hygiene and social distancing in schools.

“It would be extremely nice if the Moe considered early exams so that we are left with candidates. Because the fewer the learners at school,the easier it will be to carry out surveillance and ensure that they are safe,” she said on NTV last week.

However, her proposal was received negatively by Uganda National Teacher’s Union (UNATU) and other stakeholders on grounds that it doesn’t exactly solve the problem of avoiding spread of EVD.

Filbert Baguma, the UNATU Secretary General stated that prematurely cutting the term short would mean the government also closing other public facilities and services.

“We would be adding salt to an injury,because the already shortened content will also not be covered.Closing down schools should mean that transport, markets, shopping malls are also closed,” said Baguma.

Recent statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate that Uganda has 135 cumulative cases of Ebola 62 recoveries ,18 active patients and 53 deaths.