Schools battle new challenges after Jan 10 re-opening

Kampala, Uganda | DEDAN TUMUSIIME | While many hailed the re-opening of Uganda schools on January 10th, it has come with several new problems for teachers, students and administrators.

Schools were finally re-opened after a period of two years, making it the longest time schools have been closed in the whole world after the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.

Several schools have faced challenges, from making young pupils observe the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures, to handling students who have become parents.

One key challenge after the two-year break has been the question of what classes to place some of the pupils. Entry to Primary One, two and three for example, have given administrators the biggest headache.

As Winnie Musiime, a school owner in Kampala narrates, parents are forcefully asking them to promote their kids to a class that matches their ages since many have outgrown the classes they were in two years back.

“Yes, I understand their point of view, but sadly the kids’ brains have not developed which I feel would be an injustice to promote them,” Musiime explains.

This increased pressure from parents has resulted in schools promoting kids to classes they are not really prepared for. Some of those who were in Primary 1 when the lockdown started in 2020, have been moved to Primary 3 by other schools. Those who were in baby class, moved to Primary 1.

Musiime says the only way forward  is to sit down and discuss with parents of the kids. This will enable them to come up with the best solution to their  education because in the long run, any rushed decision, should be understood by all incase their kids fail to perform to their expectations.

Teachers interviewed also say that the concentration levels of their students has also reduced, and will affectd their performance in class.

Even though the re-opening was a step forward after the pandemic, some Ugandans are not happy about the reopening as some parents lost jobs during the pandemic and prices of goods and commodities have been hiked.

Some parents have resorted to sending their children back to schools without school necessities.

Parents are also angry at the fact that some schools are using this situation as a chance to exploit them by increasing school fees even after government directing them not to.

“Some schools are making us pay school fees especially for Senior 2 students yet the government said we should not pay school fees,” said a parent.

The parent said schools are threatening to send their children back home.

Also speaking to some of the pupils, they say that they have had a very hard time adjusting back to their academics due to the long period of time they spent at home.

They also say due to some of their parents being jobless, they come to school without all the necessities and a fraction of the school fees, which has really troubled them.