WE ARE READY TO OPEN SCHOOLS – PRIVATE SCHOOL OWNERS TO GOVERNMENT

WE ARE READY TO OPEN SCHOOLS – PRIVATE SCHOOL OWNERS TO GOVERNMENT

By District Focus reorter

The National Private Schools & Institutions COVID-19 Committee; which was formed to supplement the efforts of government in pursuing and fast tracking the re-opening of schools and other key concerns of private schools,through their chairman Joseph Kiggundu have said that they are ready for schools re-opening

In a September 17^th communiqué, the committee said that they have been educated on the spread, control and general management of the COVID-19 cases, and have circulated the SOPs for Educational institutes across all the private school.

He also said that the private school proprietors have been trained by the Ministry of Education and sports and are expected to train their staffs, and many of the schools have procured and installed the necessary infrastructure required to implement the SOPs. “Our committee together with the Ministry of Education and leaders of various education sector organizations are set to scale up trainings across the country to ensure all schools are fully trained in implementing the SOPs,” Kiggundu said.

They also appealed to government to re-open schools so that learners especially candidates and finalists attend third term starting October and not on 27^th September as it is speculated. The committee also requested government to calrify on how the UGX20B teacher’s SACCO money will be shared among all schools.

Kiggundu further appealed to government to freeze the interests on loans acquired by private schools, since the schools have not been doing business since the lockdown and closure of schools and many risk being attached by banks to recover their loans, and save many school goers from returning to their schools and find their classrooms raze down to construct shopping malls and arcades.

The committee also decried the high rate of teenage pregnancies that were registered during the lockdown, and under-age marriages due to lack of a better options and child labour cases that have soured as children are seen in major towns and cities of this country hawking food items and other merchandize as the COVID-19 effect bites on families who are struggling to provide food for their families and children are being forced to work to supplement on the family income and food.