Pupil of Kasana UMEA PS pushing garbage collected from wheelbarrow
Leaners returned to bushy and dirty school premises this morning following the resumption of studies after nearly two-year of closure triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At St. Martin’s primary school Mulago in Kampala learners in upper classes who arrived with brooms were immediately deployed to clean the compound that was littered with dry leaves. They also collected grass that had been slashed possibly a day before.
The more than one hundred learners spread around the school compound under the inspection of teachers managed to clean the compound within two hours. At Kasana UMEA primary school in Luwero town, about 150 pupils had reported by 9:00 am.
They started off the day by cleaning the messy school compound. The school headteacher, Sulaiman Kitanda, said that they didn’t prepare ahead of time due to a lack of funds to pay casual laborers. He explained that the school was yet to receive capitation grant from the government despite making preparation to receive learners.
Kitanda also revealed that they are still waiting for the district to renovate the classroom block whose roof was blown off by the heavy wind.
Last week, Elizabeth Namanda, the Luwero Chief Administrative Officer, said that she was in the process of sending funds to schools to put in place facilities that will enable to implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures-SOPs.
At Luwero Muslim Secondary School, the headteacher Uthman Lubega, said they carried out major repairs and students only cleaned the compound.
Henry Tumusiime Africaner, a S.4 student at Destiny Christian High School, said they began by cleaning dormitories, compound, and toilets. Tumusiime said he was happy to return to school and had no issue with cleaning since it’s their responsibility
Daniel Ssajjabi, the headteacher of Destiny Christian High School, said cleaning was part of orientation for the learners and since it’s a routine at the school. In Mukono, the situation was no different. Our reporter observed learners at Ngandu Primary School in Mukono Municipality cleaning the school environment under the supervision of teachers.
Adrien Muhawinimana, one of the pupils and school head girl of the school, says that although the school has cleaners they are yet to show up. The school Head Teacher, Justine Nakatte says that cleaning is part of learning. She explained that as they wait for more other learners to turn up, those who reported are assisting them to do general cleaning.
Nakatte says the school received Shillings 450, 000 for renovations and used the money to hire casual laborers to slash the compound. Our reporter also visited Lower Bugongi primary school in Northern division, Kabale Municipality at around 09:00amand found pupils and support staff cleaning the compound.
Merab Kansiime, one of the pupils, says that she came willing to study and found the classroom very dirty. She says that they were advised by the teachers to first sweep and study later. The School headteacher, Justine Mugabiirwe, said that however much the school has opened, it is operating in a financial crisis.
Unlike other schools where learners were engaged in cleaning at Nakasero primary school, the cleaning was being done by casual laborers as students went in for the orientation.
A similar observation was made at Wampewo Ntake Secondary school where support staff was busy cleaning the school compound, sweeping and mopping classrooms.
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The schools would have been prepared before the return of students.