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By Julius Mugaga/ KMA Updates
Photos by Julius Mugaga/ KMA Updates
A student of Wampeewo Ntakke S.S washing hands from a foot-operated washing material. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
Kampala, Uganda: Wampeewo Ntakke Secondary School has started receiving students after a long overhaul of over two years.
Mr. Ssekiyivu Edward, the Deputy Headteacher in charge of Administration responds to interview questions. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
Ugandan schools have about two years been dis-functioning arising from closure due to Covid-19 outbreak at the beginning of March, 2020 by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
However there have been partial re-opening amidst the pandemic still not enough to take route along with increasing numbers of infections.
On 31st December Last year, the President of Uganda His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni during his end of years speech, allowed all schools to fully re-open in a staggered manner as advised by Ministry of Education and Sports, starting with 10th. January, 2022.
Kabuubi Media Africa has moved to Wampeewo based Wampeewo Ntakke Secondary School to establish the long awaited full board learning.
In a one on one interview with Mr. Ssekiziyivu Edward, the Deputy Head teacher in charge of Administration, highlighted key issues the school taken to have uninterrupted academic learning amidst the Covid-19 surge.
How are you going to handle double classes?
The ministry of Education and Sports guided that, for this issue, students will have automatic promotion for example if someone was in senior one, will directly go to senior two to allow those who completed primary seven join senior one and those in senior five to go to senior six to allow those who completed O’ level, join senior five, this we have maintained as a school.
The ministry directed that all teacher must be vaccinated before reporting to work, is this directive met here?
As Wampeewo Ntakke, all our teachers are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 except two and these are expecting mothers whereby were advised by Health Services that for the vaccine may destabilize their gestation there by leaving them aside till they deliver.
School fees has become an issue in many schools, I mean are you charging fresh fees to students or they’ll operate on the former before they were locked?
As guided by the line ministry that those who had fully paid school fees before being locked should not re- pay but for those who partially paid, should complete the payments then those who had not at all met any payments will experience total remittance, and we have not gone away from that.
However we were affected in the way that students in senior three and senior five were supposed to do promotional exams upon remittance of school fees but this was destabilized by quick closure of education institutions before they sat for them meaning that students will not remit the dues.
However we kindly ask our dear parents to at least 60% of the school fees, considering the Covid-19 hiccups and we’re open for discussion with them.
Senior Woman teacher counselling students in the hall. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
Have moderated your reporting dates in line with that of the ministry of Education and sports?
No, by the time the line ministry issued its staggered reporting dates, we had already issued circulars to all our parents so it would be so hectic and time consuming to again reach every parent for such changes however our reporting dates are as follows;
Monday 10th, 2022 is the reporting date for students of senior three, senior four and senior six, in boarding section, and the Tuesday 11th, 2022 is for the day scholars of the same classes.
Monday 17th, 2022 is the reporting date for students of senior one, senior two and senior six, in boarding section, and Tuesday 18th, 2022 is for the day scholars of the same classes.
This was done to enable the Covid-19 task force sensitize students before learning kicks-off.
A student taking temperature measurements from the face wall-operated temperature gun. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
We have covered some teachers indulging in small and medium businesses like Chapatti making, brick-laying , Boda boda and others claiming they’ll not go back to teaching, is it the same case with your staff?
Not really, Wampeewo unlike other cases we’ve heard in media, maintained all its staff and had a staff meeting before reopening where all attended. In addition, all the 81 staff members are in good shape to teach students like before.
Students seen at the school campus. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
And to inform you that this week, will be comprised of orientation of students only since they have many things in their minds as some are thinking of their small businesses abandoned, and other issues.
So this has prompted us to mold them to school life for a week before serious academics.
School dropouts have been frequent due to pregnancy, loss of morale due to overstay and others, how are these statistics at Wampeewo Ntakke SS?
You’re right, but at the moment we don’t have clear statistics on this matter since students are still reporting and expect many more so it is viable when they all report then we can investigate this.
Students seen leaving the counselling hall. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
How is the in-flow of students compared to those days?
It may surprise you, on Monday we received over 300 students for boarding section and many others in day yesterday and we hope for more to come since all this week is for reporting of students.
This could be because we have not registered any pregnancy case during school closure since we have been monitoring all our students.
Are hiring staff to oversee the conditions of students in this Covid-education period as you do the teaching?
Not really, our science department has manufactured hand sanitizers and liquid soap for all people in the school premises as well our nurses have attended about three health workshops at Uganda Martyrs Namugongo and Wampeewo primary school so i hope we are to handle matters ourselves but in case any reference, Kasangati Health Centre is our partner and will help us.
Kabuubi Media Africa team also met the School Chairperson Covid-19 Task force Mrs. Nalugya Eva, who took us through the containment of the Virus at the premises and standard operating procedures.
Mrs. Nalugya Eva, School Chairperson Covid-19 Task force checking into records. Photo by Julius Mugaga.
She told nus that, the school has different committees to handles students especially in this orientation week, which include:
Disciplinary committee, Carrier department, Counselling department, Health/ School nurse, senior woman and man teachers and others, the teachers and students’ task force which meet once a week to give report on the monitoring.
Regarding Standard Operating Procedures, Nalugya told us that the school has installed hand operated washing materials, face-wall operated temperature equipment, and face masks are strictly enforced to all students.
In addition, students temperatures is recorded three times a day, for boarding students, as they wake up, at lunch and after evening preps then for day scholars, as they enter the gate, at lunch and as they leave school.