SCHOOL REOPENING: Education Minister Orders School Heads

State Minister for Higher Education John Chyrsostom Muyingo has urged heads of education institutions to prepare for the full reopening of schools next month.

Most education institutions have been closed for almost two years over the Covid19 pandemic.

In his most recent address on the Covid19 response, President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni made it clear he would fully reopen all sectors of the economy, including education in January 2022.

But, as the clock ticks closer to January 2022, the ministry of education and sports, whose head is first lady Janet Kataaha Museveni, is yet to release a revised school calendar.

Ms Museveni’s junior colleague Muyingo used his speech at the Uganda Management Institute (UMI) graduation ceremony at the weekend to call on school heads to prepare.

“May I use this forum to also urge preparedness to our Education Sector as we set out for total reopening. I call on Head teachers both public and private schools and the proprietors of private schools to do a stocktake,” said Muyingo.

“Please reach out to your staff and be sure you have all of them on board, touch up the facilities, clean up, talk to the service providers and ensure they are ready for the rollout. It is important for our education system to remain fully engaged.”

He warned school heads against giving lame excuses once they fail to prepare.

“Head teachers of public schools should have no excuses because government has continued to pay the wages of all public sector Education Institutions; we should use the time to re-energise ourselves and be very gutted to go.”

But the minister did not reveal when the ministry will release a detailed program on reopening.