School reopening: Janet Museveni issues guidelines to parents who had paid First Term Fees before closure

Education and sports Minister Janet Museveni has explained what schools should do in case where parents had paid students’ school fees before the closure in March 2020.

On September 20, President Yoweri Museveni allowed school to reopen their gates to candidate classes and final year students after six months of closure.

Museveni had announced the closure of education institution gates for 15 million learners as a way of preventing the spread of Covid19.

But at the weekend, he announced partial reopening.

However, before closure of school on March 20, First Term was midway. In some cases, a considerable number of parents and guardians had cleared fees for their children.

So, how will schools charge this group? And what about those who had not paid? These are some of the questions that have remained unanswered following government’s decision to reopen schools.

But Ms Museveni, the First Lady, has told government media conglomerate Vision Group that schools and parents need to amicably resolve this matter.

“We are aware that some parents had paid all fees for first term but others had not. We are also aware that schools have had to continue incurring expenses. I hope the parents will remember that: the schools have continued to incur expenses during the school closure on paying staff and maintaining the school facilities, the security,” she said.

She called for discussions between school management committees (and/or boards) and parents a way of finding a solution to the issue.

“Our guidance in line with the Education (Pre-Primary, Primary and Post-Primary) Act, 2008, is that school management should constructively engage parents, through the School Management Committee or Board of Governors [Directors], to agree now on fees payment and collection of fees.”