1,900 inspectors sent to schools ahead of full re-opening

The government has dispatched a team of 1,840 inspectors to various parts of the country, for the second inspection of schools which will partly inform them on whether students in lower classes can be allowed to return to school.

The inspectors started their work last week.

The education ministry's permanent secretary Alex Kakooza says that the schools are being re-inspected to "Ascertain their compliance to the set standard operating procedures, and their ability to receive more students in lower classes."

The government on October 15, opened candidate classes and finalists in universities, after six months of the education institutions' closure.

The institutions had been closed at the end of March this year by the government to stem the spread of COVID-19.

The number of those who have contracted COVID-19 is continuously going up every day in Uganda. There are now 23,300 who have contracted the virus. Of these 207 people have died and 9,374 others have recovered.

"The position to re-open non-candidate classes will be cautiously taken, on expert advice that will partly be based on inspection reports," said state minister for higher education John Chrysostom Muyingo.

Muyingo who was flanked by Alex Kakooza and other directors and commissioners at the ministry said reopening schools is a priority.

"The government is determined to see lower classes resuming studies, and there will be no dead year for any student," Muyingo added.

He also noted that much as the students' homeschooling materials have delayed "we are determined to ensure this matter is resolved."

Students in continuing classes are expecting printed homework from the government courtesy of a $14.57m (sh54b) grant through the World Bank which was sent to Uganda in October.

But the government has delayed the release of an additional $30.43m (sh112bn) to adequately implement all printing of work for all lower classes.