The ministry of Education and Sports of Uganda has issued 27 new Standard Operating Procedures ( SOPs) required for the reopening of schools and institutions of higher learning in Uganda which were closed in March due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
Launching the SOPs on Tuesday at Kabale district Rukiiko in Kabale municipality, the Assistant commissioner in Charge of private schools and institutions at the ministry George Mutekanga said that government is preparing on how they will reopen schools while following all the set guidelines by the ministry of health in order to avoid spread of Covid-19.
In March this year, President Museveni ordered for the closure of schools and suspended religious gatherings across the country in attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The new standard operating procedures for schools, include;
- Every school forming a Covid-19 task-force,
- Daily and timely screening of temperatures of learners,
- Compulsory wearing of face masks by both learners and teachers,
- Creation of isolation rooms at every school,
- Access to water by learners every time,
- Daily disinfection of classroom floors, walls, furniture, toilets using soap and water,
- Restricted access to schools and screening done at school gates
- Creation of adequate spaces at schools to accommodate recommended distance,
- Single beds or one student on a double decker, and keeping 2 meters between beds,
- Lesson plans should include messages of Covid-19 at and the end of every lessons, among other procedures.
Mutekanga said that all school heads and administrators have been given a period of one month to do the preparations to enable the government re-think of re-opening schools in September.
He added that if school administrators fail to comply with the guidelines, government may not reopen schools till Covid-19 is no more in the country.
He further added that school administrators need to engage even parents in order to have all guidelines complied too by all stakeholders.
When asked on what happened to the government plan of providing radios and Television sets to people to enable distance learning, Mutekanga refused to comment on the matter saying that government is still analyzing its applicability.