Vaccination Remains Key to School Reopening-Education Ministry

Uganda’s total reopening of schools is still premised on Covid-19 vaccination rates, the minister of state for Education and Sports (Higher Education), Dr John Chyrsostom Muyingo has said.

Although President Museveni stated last month that the economy will reopen with or without vaccination come January 2022, the Education ministry insists that the vaccination response will determine the reopening to avoid closure when schools reopen.

Muyingo, who confirmed that schools will reopen on January 10, 2022, however, made it clear that schools need to mobilize for vaccination as a key element.

The government set a target to vaccinate at least 550,000 teachers and support staff, 3,348,500 people in the elderly category of 50 years and above, and also 31,000 learners who are 18 years and above. But the government has targeted to vaccinate a total of 4.5 million people in order to reopen the schools.

Muyingo noted that the vaccination of the teachers, non-teaching staff, learners aged 18 years and above, and also the elder people above 50 years is still valid.

He also highlighted other issues including following up on teachers and offering them psychosocial support to recover from the Covid-19 lockdown effects.

Another issue he cites is the conducive environment for both the learners and the teachers as they return.

Meanwhile, Muyingo sounded a warning to some private learning institutions that have already set reopening dates prior to the official school calendar.

He says schools should follow and implement the official calendar which is soon to be released by the Education ministry.

Without waiting for the official school academic calendar some private schools embarked on developing their own calendar with reopening dates starting January 3, 2022.