The minister of education and sports who also doubles as first lady as warned teachers to engage in vaccination before schools reopen or else they will not be allowed to teach.
“I want you to know that, we are going to ask the head teachers and heads of institutions to be strict to make sure that no teacher who is not vaccinated is allowed to go to class or to go to school at all. Please don’t think that this is just talking. We mean this for you own good, “she said.
She added that the Ministry of Education and Sports are doing their part to ensure that teachers and learners above 18 years get vaccinated.
“It is very important that you must really get these jabs, so If you don’t get vaccinated you may not be allowed to go to schools for the job you need,” she added.
She noted that she discussed the problem of vaccination of teachers with the ministry of Health and they agreed that the exercise be done at schools and the universities.
“The ministry of Health agreed with me that they will now take the vaccination centres to the schools and to universities where the teaching staff can be vaccinated alone’’ she said.
Meanwhile the student leaders from various universities have expressed frustration over the lack of a clear school re-opening plan, warning that the two ministers are risking the future of their generation.
They have tasked the Heath ministry and education ministry at large to either issue a clear vaccination plan for students or resign.
In a student leaders press briefing headed by Makerere University Business School (MUBs) guild president Robinson Ogwang, Kyambogo University guild president John Mbaziira among others, they said they want a clear timely plan for mass vaccination of students and teachers with in 30 day.
“We are demanding the government to consider fixing messes in the education system through issuing out a comprehensive timely plan for mass vaccination of students and teachers within 30 days, failure of which, the Ministers of the MoES and MOH must resign,” the statement reads.
Kyambogo’s guild, Mbaziira, said that there is no evidence that government is doing enough to support the education system so that it can be reopened fully despite the loans and donations from local and international bodies.
Schools were closed in May by president Museveni following a surge in Covid-19 infections which was in its second wave.ve.