Teachers in Kamuli district have said that the Covid-19 lockdown has unmasked their profession as one that matters as seen by the number of parents who are requesting for the reopening of schools and girls getting pregnant under their parents’ watch.
The instructors made the remarks on Monday during the Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kiwolera Army Primary School in Kamuli district.
Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March, the government closed all schools and higher institutions of learning as one of the ways to combat the global pandemic.
Government has, however, earmarked October 15 as the date on which they will reopen for candidate classes and finalists.
According to the teachers, even digital learning has proved that learners need closer guidance from their teachers.
“The good side of Covid-19 is that it has proved to the world that teachers matter and need to be supported as parents’ lack of skills has been exposed, with them (parents) crying out to the Government for schools to reopen.
“This is because many girls are getting pregnant under their watch,” Mr Daniel Mugabi, the Kamuli Municipality Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) Chairperson, said on the teachers’ behalf.
UNATU is a body that unites about 140,000 teachers throughout the country.
Kamuli and Namutumba districts topped Busoga Sub-region in sexual violence against women and children during the lockdown, call-in records at Nyonga Women’s Shelter, a facility counseling and helping in the mediation of survivors of Gender Based Violence [GBV], revealed.
The findings were based on calls made between March 17, when President Museveni announced the lockdown and June 4 when public transport was reopened.
Mr Godfrey Mugote, who spoke on behalf of special needs children, said children with disabilities are disadvantaged and need special attention.
According to him, while deaf children can watch television and the blind can listen to radios, all can’t follow up on exercises as there is a need for interpreters and sign language persons to help them. Advertisement
“Government should give us the materials so that we transcribe them into braille for blind learners, otherwise it is a mockery and a disadvantage to special needs learners,” Mr Mugote voiced.
The teachers, who marked their day with tree planting, further called for health safety measures against the raging Covid-19 pandemic as candidate classes reopen next week, saying their lives will be at risk in case Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) are breached.
The Kamuli Municipality deputy Town Clerk, Mr Richard Eyaru, urged the teachers to use the vast school land to plant trees for nutrition, windbreakers and commercial purposes as a strategy to fight climate change.
He also encouraged the teachers to the learners through psychological counselling first when they report to school.
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