Patrick Kaboyo, FENEI General Secretary, notes that they are against a dead year and if their proposal is approved, the finalists will study from October to around January and sit for examinations in February.
A section of private school owners
under their umbrella Federation of Non-State Education Institution (FENEI) and
the national private schools and institutions have asked the government to
consider allowing the final students report for the third term if schools are
reopened.
Patrick Kaboyo,
FENEI General Secretary, notes that they are against a dead year and would like
the schools reopened as early as October.
According to Kaboyo, if their proposal is approved, the finalists will study
from October to around January and sit for examinations in February.
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Educational institutions have been under key and lock since March when they
were prematurely closed as one of the measures to curb the spread of covid19
disease.
Kaboyo notes that
even if they reopen for the second term, they will able to use the suggested
time to prepare learners for the national examination and the rest can slowly
be engaged through the proposed home-schooling program and also give remedial
lesson when they return to schools.
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Uganda National Examination Board- UNEB will also have less than three months
to undertake the examination cycle starting with the registration of learners,
preparing the exams, and sitting the exams.
Normally, the registration for finalists covers two months April and May. After
which learners are given four to five months before they eventually write their
examinations. It remains unclear whether three months would be enough for UNEB
to prepare and hold the assessments effectively.
Meanwhile, Joseph Kiggundu, the Chairperson National Private Schools, and
Institutions COVID-19 committee says although there are indicators of a
possible reopening, the government should pronounce itself on the promises that
it had made to private schools.
Kiggundu who is also the proprietor of King’s Group of Schools points to the
need to give the teachers tax holidays, freezing of interest on school loans.
He says that this can be temporary to enable have a soft reopening and averting
the possible transfer of stress to parents in form of hiked fees.
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The school owners
also note that through their forums and platforms they have already been disseminating
the standard operating procedures for schools and think they are ready to
reopen.
Kiggundu argues
that reopening will bring back life to teachers who have lost hope and also
provide a haven to thousands of learners who are abused in the communities.
As the private
teachers push for the reopening, there are other groups of people who argue
that reopening after September will be pointless.
President Yoweri Museveni is expected to address the nation on Sunday on the
Covid-19 pandemic.
