After the longest closure of almost two years in history, schools in Uganda finally reopen, bringing joy to the students. However, authorities warned the education system that the effect of pandemics on education will last long and at least 30% of students may never return to school or drop out due to various problems. These issues are more related to the financial restraints that were brought to the families as the economy across the globe collapsed. This pushed some of the children to start working to support their families while according to the authorities, some even got pregnant and married early.
Even though schools remained closed during the tiring times of Covid-19, there were educational lessons through TV, newspaper, radio. However, this medium did not reach the entire fleet of students across the country. While the wealthier families were able to afford online classes for their children, poor children had no choice but to drop out of school to feed themselves and support their families.
The education authorities plan to abridge the curriculum and focus on the fundamental areas for those students who were not able to continue their studies due to various reasons. Uganda went through a phased reopening of schools with universities and colleges opening from last November after the vaccination of teachers, staff, and students above the age of 18. The nation will also ensure complete safety and health measures for students returning to schools with daily temperature checks for students, staff, and teachers.
