1-How Covid-19 has hit the education sector in Uganda
From when the Corona virus (Covid-19) first hit the country in mid-March 2019, Uganda’s education sector has never been the same. It has been hit hard but luckily in the past few weeks and months of this year (2021), several universities have held semi- virtual graduation ceremonies. Some students socially distanced at their universities on invitation while the majority followed the functions on various media platforms. But unlike these university students, not everybody has been lucky.
Just as students had been requested to return to their classes this year in April, especially those from candidate classes, unexpectedly, a second wave of Covid-19 hit the country. The first wave of the pandemic was mild and few deaths were registered so as a result, people went into laxity and started ignoring the standard operating procedures (wearing masks, sanitizing, washing hands and social distancing).
In fact the ministry of education had plans of gradually releasing all students from their homes and back to school because the pandemic seemed to be under control. When laxity kicked in, most schools were badly hit but the authorities kept quiet and the pandemic spread. Fast forward, on Sunday 6 June, President Yoweri Museveni in a national address announced a partial 42 days lock down.
The announcement would be implemented immediately and students started returning home the following day. Most parents complained that they had just recently paid their children’s tuition only for them to return home. Others complained about the Ministry of Education and Sports not being able to have a better strategy of minimizing loses. Other parents welcomed the move saying it was inevitable because life was more precious than education.
2-Students stranded in the city
Following the President’s directive, several students, their parents and other people were seen stranded in most transport terminals also locally known as taxi and bus parks. The directive issued on 6 June 2021 would see students heading back home the following day on Monday and on subsequent days but not later than 10 June when a ban on inter district travel would be effected.
Due to the unexpected disruption and its effects, many people were caught off guard. The President’s directive included following the standard operating procedures in taxi vans and the bigger buses by carrying half the number of passengers.
Besides being requested to carry half the number of passengers, people heading to far off places were asked not to cross districts using the same vehicle. That is, if someone is travelling from Kampala district to Mbarara district they can only travel to the nearest district after Kampala and board another vehicle for the rest of the distance.
By doing this, spreading of the pandemic would be reduced. Likewise, vehicles coming from upcountry to Kampala or any other place where requested not to make full journeys but stop in one district and let their passengers travel by other means to Kampala. Because of this disruption which meant loss of revenue, most bus operators in Kampala doubled or tripled their fares.
This led to huge numbers of people including students to be stranded in these travel terminals especially one called Namayiba bus terminal. Many local TV stations showed several students with their parents and some without, sleeping at these terminals overnight. Some stayed for two days until government sought a solution.
Government provided free transport for the students and promised to arrest the bus operators who had increased the fares unjustifiably. Although the president’s directive was followed, large numbers of stranded students and other people posed a big challenge as far as social distancing is concerned.
3-Covid-19 positive student numbers surge
As many students had returned to school, some administrators did not inform parents and other stakeholders about Covid-19 having hit their schools. Most schools lacked the knowledge and capacity of handling the situation and thus kept quiet. Some media reports suggested that most school administrators were more interested in making money from the returning students than taking precaution including carrying out mandatory tests.
When the numbers were uncontainable with many schools finally opening up about the pandemic hitting them hard, the government had to take a bold step and announce closure of schools, places of worship, bars, restrict travel, maintain curfew hours and tighten the standard operating procedures (S.O.Ps).
“Let’s follow the S.O.Ps and avoid crowded places. It is really getting more dangerous,” warned Emmanuel Ainebyona, the Ministry of Health spokesperson. He was speaking to a local radio station in Kampala, the country’s capital city. Kampala, Wakiso and Gulu are the most affected areas.
Some press reports say most of the children in Wakiso have tested positive for Covid-19. In Gulu, 17% of the students returning from school have tested positive and of these 280 returned from Kampala. The health ministry says that countrywide, over 1,000 students have tested positive for Covid-19.
Since the pandemic struck in 2019, countrywide, 60,250 people tested positive, over 1,800 were treated and discharged and 423 people have so far been reported dead. By press time on Sunday 13 June, Ainebyona cautioned that if nothing major is done by the public, the country may experience another full lock down soon.
4-Students and lock-down challenges
When Covid-19 first hit the country in mid-March 2019, a full lock down mode gripped the population. People became stressed and perturbed, some lost employment while others started working from home. The lock down affected most of the school going children as they could no longer complete their study sessions or semesters for tertiary institutions.
Online studies were initiated while government provided lessons for students via television and radio. Some students especially those in upcountry areas don’t have radios and TVs, so they missed out. Some parents complained that the English language used was a bit of a challenge as they could not grasp it well compared to the type they were used to.
Some children in upcountry areas took to garden and farm work with their parents during the very time the study sessions were aired on radio and TV. An idle mind being a devil’s workshop as the saying goes, a number of female students became pregnant.
The pandemic brought with it many teenage pregnancies across the country but media reports suggest the eastern region where Busesa is located, was the most hit. Now following a partial lock down, some parents have expressed worry.
Some leaders have urged parents to ensure that the students who have returned home should be made busy. Besides, doing chores, they should also create time for studying. “They should not rest, they should create time for books as well as helping out with domestic chores so as to catch up for time lost,” a leader told a local radio station. Although students were told to embrace online learning, during the recent national budget reading, a 12% tax was slapped on data usage. This has enraged many people wondering how government wants them to go online and at the same time pay high taxes on data.