Gulu Allocates UGX 78m to Schools for Protective Equipment

 The Gulu District Education Department has allocated 78 Million Shillings for procuring personal protective equipment for the government-headed schools as the schools reopen next week.

There are 47 government-headed Primary Schools and 5 government-headed secondary Schools in the district. Each of the learning institutions shall receive 1.5 million shillings. 

Caesar Akena, the Gulu District Education Officer says that the 78 million shillings are part of the 1st quarter release of the capitation grant for this financial year that the government released to all the districts.

According to Akena, the 1.5 million shillings for each of the schools shall be used to procure temperature guns, liquid soap, hand sanitizers, and handwashing facilities among other things that will be used by both the leaners and the staff members in a bid to mitigate the spread of COVID -19.

He says the money shall be sent to the respective schools’ accounts before the end of this week.

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Akena also added that the schools must ensure that that they check on the health status of their learners every day and update the Ministry of Health with the reports as required of them.

On Tuesday, Gulu District Local Government held a meeting with all the headteachers of both private and government-headed schools as they prepare to reopen schools on Monday 10.

Doreen Ayot, the Headmistress of St. Martin Primary Schools in Bungatira Sub –County says all her teachers and other staff have been trained to handle the learners under the new normal and that they are making final arrangements to have them ready.

Patrick Ocan, the Headmaster of Awach Primary School in Awach Sub –County says the late reporting to schools by the learners is likely going to affect the orientation exercise which shall take place in the first week. He revealed that most of the learners normally report to school in the second or third week, which is very unfortunate.  

Ocan appealed to all the partners in education to join hands and carry out massive mobilization of the learners to have them report to schools promptly on Monday.