WHY SCHOOLS SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY OPENED
By Our Correspondent
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As cabinet convenes today to discuss the reopening of schools and other institutions of learning the following are the reasons why reopening should happen immediately.
 1. COVID-19 appears to have come to stay like malaria, HIV and other diseases. We have to learn to live with it.
2. Parliament, Civil Society, managers of schools, parents, and students want schools to immediately reopen.
3. Students and teachers can be supported by government and sensitized to adhere to SOPS.
4. Students are equally not safe at home as they move in communities and markets and also interact with their family members who go to congested places. The national compliance rate for SOPS appears to be below 3%. Majority Ugandans are living like Tanzanians; not bothered about COVID-19.
5. Huge economic cost/loss to the economy in the continued lockdown to institutions of learning and other businesses that are still in the lockdown.
6. Students getting pregnant and others losing interest in education after joining the labour market.
7. Possibility of many schools and institutions especially private ones closing business after failing to meet maintenance costs.
8. Mass exodus of teachers from the teaching profession especially the majority who are in private schools and are no longer getting salaries.
9. Students have already lost a full year without studying. Any more time loss not fair to them.
9. Most countries in the world including neighbouring countries have reopened schools.
Ministry of Education recently advised teachers, students and parents that all schools nationwide would be closed until cabinet decides on what to do.
Today cabinet sat to discuss the re-opening of schools for other students because candidate classes have been attending. Cabinet will receive a full report on the state of preparedness for learners, guidance from Ministry of Health scientists and then President Yoweri Tubuhaburwa will make the final decision.
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