MOE CIRCULAR ON REOPENING OF HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTIONS; EDUCATION MINISTRY RELEASES CIRCULAR ON REOPENING OF UNIVERSITIES
The Ministry of Education has released new guidelines that will govern the reopening of universities following sudden closure in March.
According to the latest circular by the PS for State Department for University Education Ambassador Simon Nabukwesi dated June 17, 2020 all universities should resume learning in September 2020 if the rate of infections would have gone down.
“The Ministry of education in collaboration with other government agencies is working on the modalities of reopening all institutions of learning. Modeling projections by the ministry of health on when the peak of infections is projected to be in August/ September, and therefore, it is expected that fewer cases will be reported after September 2020,” reads part of the Circular
REOPENING GUIDELINES
The PS has also directed universities to come up with extensive plans that include stringent measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 once the learning institutions reopen.
The new guidelines now direct all universities to ensure the provision of clean running water, soap, and hand sanitizers for students always.
Besides, the universities should ensure social distancing and all students must be compelled to put on face masks.
All lecturers and non-teaching staff must also wear masks always.
“Universities will ensure that all learners, lecturers, and non-teaching staff have masks. The institutions can provide these at a subsidized rate to students and staff,” he said.
Traveling Guidelines
Students and staff who may not be able to travel to their various institutions will be given the necessary support including the augmentation of face to face learning with e-learning for students.
“Universities should ensure that contingency plans are provided for those students who might need assistance to get back to their institutions,” says Nabukwesi.
ISOLATION CENTRES
Following the directive to reopen universities, institutions currently being used as isolation centers should be fumigated before learning resumes.
“institutions whose facilities are still currently being used for isolation, quarantine and treatment centers should liaise with the ministry of health to cease any further admissions and transfer patients to other Ministry of Health facilities,” wrote the PS.
FIRST YEAR STUDENTS
According to the circular, all universities must come up with a program that will accommodate both first-year and continuing students.
This comes as the CS education professor George Magoha is traversing counties in the Western region to assess schools’ level of preparedness ahead of the September 2020 reopening date.
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