SCHOOL REOPENING: Head Teachers to Block Unvaccinated Teachers, Non-Teaching Staff from Accessing School Premises

“Only teachers who are vaccinated should show up to teach, only non-teaching staff who are vaccinated should show up in the school.”

The Ministry of Education and Sports has proposed that teachers who will not have taken Covid19 vaccine jabs by the time education institutions reopen should be blocked from accessing school premises as part of disease surveillance system.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja is expected to chair a meeting of the National Covid19 Taskforce, attended by officials from the Ministry of Health and that of Education and Sports to further discuss school reopening dates and guidelines.

Last week, Education Minister and First Lady Janet Museveni presented several proposals to a the national taskforce.

One of the proposals touched on a strong surveillance system that would quickly detect and handle Covid19 cases if they emerged in education institutions.

According to Education Ministry Spokesperson Dr Dennis Mugimba heads of education institutions — head teachers or principals — would be in charge of enforcement of guidelines.

One of these guidelines will be blocking unvaccinated teachers or instructors (lecturers) from accessing school premises or even stepping in classrooms.

“We are going to strengthen the surveillance system in education institutions. We are going to make sure that the head of the institution, this can be a head teacher, the principal is responsible for enforcing the standard operating procedures in that school,” explained Dr Mugimba.

“[The school head will be responsible for] making sure that masks are being put on, that social distance is observed, that hand washing facilities are in place, vaccination of teachers is done, only teachers who are vaccinated should show up to teach, only non-teaching staff who are vaccinated should show up in the school.”

As of last week, less than 40 per cent of Ugandan teachers had been vaccinated.