The Ministry of Education has given a green light to International Schools to fully open up, effective September 21.
“Given that these schools follow the school calendar of their international affiliates and their candidate classes do not correspond to the standard education cycles in Uganda, international schools in Uganda may reopen and operate at full capacity with effect from 21th September,” a document containing guidelines for re-opening of schools reads in part.
However, the general guidelines on safety measures for reopening of education institutions shall apply to international schools in Uganda.
All schools in the country were closed by President Yoweri Museveni on March 20, to avert the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was part of the countrywide total lockdown that included grounding of transport, closure of the borders and general business. The country has had a phased opening up with public transport and downtown business already operational.
Schools following the Ugandan curriculum will also re-open on September 21 beginning with candidate classes (P.7, S.4 and S.6). Education institutions shall only resume full operations for all learners when Ministry of Education, working with Ministry of health, determines that it safe for them to operate at full capacity.
Some of the guidelines include the following:
- The management of all education institutions shall hold a staff meeting to discuss the implementation of the SOPs within the institution and agree on appropriate classrooms and dormitory spaces to ensure physical spacing of 2 meters between learners in class and in dormitories.
- Each institution shall constitute a COVID-19 taskforce of not more than seven (7) members, including two (2) learners and a member of the support staff.
- Each class/lecture room shall have a student monitor responsible for promoting compliance to COVID-19control and safety measures.
- All education institutions shall ensure the proper use of facial masks that must be worn at all times. Each learner should have a minimum of two face masks.
- Education institutions shall take every precaution to ensure that no learner, who is reported to have entered the country illegally, is allowed into institution premises. Such learners should be reported to the relevant authorities for necessary action.
- Education institutions shall restrict entry to their premises by members of the public.
- Education institutions should provide extra support to safeguard vulnerable learners, including SNE learners, and learners with identified health conditions.
- Institutions should establish or strengthen collaboration with Covid-19 District Taskforce and social service providers for continuity of critical services in institutions such as health screening, school feeding programs, guidance and counseling.
- Each institution should appoint a member of staff from the established Covid-19 taskforce to be a Community Liaison Officer (CLO). The CLO shall coordinate the institution’s relationship and engagement with the community to promote observance of Covid-19 control measures.
- Institutions should guide and counsel learners against Covid-19 related stigmatization.
- All education institutions should conduct behavior change and health education sessions for staff and learners and provide reminders on safety, in form of posters, on safe behaviour.
- Each institution should re-arrange the sitting of learners using all available rooms within the school to ensure the required social distancing. This may include use of libraries, laboratories, dining halls, main halls where available.
- Where classrooms have temporary partitions, institutions should remove the partitions to create larger rooms for ample sitting and aeration/ventilation.
- Where available, main halls, dining halls and other large rooms should be prioritized for use as classrooms to ensure that available teachers cater for a sizeable number of learners per class. However, there should not be more than seventy (70) learners in a room/hall of any size for a lesson or other purposes.
- A foot-operated hand washing facility shall be placed at strategic point of access to each block (and floor where applicable) used by learners and staff.
- Safe temporary shelters, such as tents, may be used as classrooms. Open air spaces, such as tree shades may be improvised as temporary venues for some classes.
- There shall be no group and close contact co-curricular activities in all education institutions until further notice. Nevertheless, learners should be guided to engage in physical activities while observing the social distancing of at least two metres.
- All education institutions shall avoid general assemblies that bring together a large number of students.