Ministry of Education -MOE bosses have allayed fears that all institutions of learning will stay closed indefinitely.

MOE has been stung by politicians, education experts, and the public for keeping schools shut with no concrete plan on when and how they will physically be reopened to learners.

On Thursday while responding to education critics, President Yoweri Museveni defended the cabinet’s decision to keep schools shut until vaccination happens.

The president blasted opposition giant, Dr.Kiiza Besigye, for critiquing the government’s plan to first vaccinate teachers and learners between 12 and 18 years before reopening.

“I read in the papers that Dr. Besigye was saying that government did not have a plan for the reopening of schools. I do not agree with him. Does he know that the biggest population of children are in day schools?”These children pose a threat to their parents. We can not accept this. We want to first make sure we vaccinate children above 12 years.”Museveni said.

Now state minister for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, says a comprehensive plan is out and will be made public by the education minister soon.

Chrysostom says ”Very soon there will be a program in which the minister will communicate to the public how we shall have the schools open in such a way that the SOP’s are observed, the curriculum is being studied,you wait for the detailed program from the minister of Education,i wouldn’t want to preempt what she is going to say”

Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the State Minister for Education has given a green light saying schools start reopening in a phased manner with universities and other tertiary institutions.   

Moriku explains that like the president said they will not open lower classes until vaccines have arrived.

‘‘Now we are still talking about universities and higher institutions of learning all these can take the current vaccine but the one’s we are waiting for are the young ones that are Pfizer vaccine for these 12yrs and above, but for the 18 years and above which are in the universities these are ones we are opening for,” Moriku says

She warns ”1 is the science, the epidemiological aspect of the virus, number 2 is the risk profile analysis what is the risk involved as we open the schools and all the mitigation strategies that is all, and then we are looking at opening in a staggered manner, to reduce overcrowding to avoid infections that is the rationale behind the reopening”Moriku says

Moriku has asked for transparency ”We need transparency from the institution, that is why the temperature guns are there, the SOP’s were secured but are they functioning because children have to be regularly checked when a child has symptoms of covid the nurse should take these girls for testing, we want a strong surveillance system because even if we do the rest, and we can only do that when we cooperate.”

Already, several groups and individual experts have come up with alternative ideas including the enforcement of Standard Operating Procedures, beefing up inspections, and COVID19 surveillance to eliminate the possible concealment of cases, a factor that led to a surge of infection before the second school closure in June this year.     

Others have also advised the government to think of having shortened learning sessions, for instance making a term to last one month, as it would be easier to control infections and remove the laxity in adhering to SOPs that normally comes with long sessions.