Big interview: We are not yet ready to re-open schools, says minister Kaducu

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Uganda, the country’s schools have remained largely closed, trapping at home some 15 million learners and leaving parents in a dilemma.

Speaking to The Nile Post, the minister of State for Primary Education Joyce Moriku Kaducu said they will convene next week for the final meeting with the president to discuss the new dates for reopening of schools.

Excerpts below

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Many parents are worried about the prolonged closure of learning institutions. Will the children go back to school this year?

That is a very tough question, even you yourself can you answer it? Covid-19 should give us the answer. The answer is two things, number one is vaccination. When we vaccinate the critical mass that is needed, number two, the Covid-19 situation, you know reopening of schools will depend on one of the principles. You recall when the schools were closed many children who went back home infected their parents, their grandparents. Now the strategy is to have these critical people vaccinated, the elderly and those with underlying medical problems. But we are very optimistic that the vaccination is now catching on very fast. We are hoping that these critical people, our grandparents, our elders are vaccinated so that at least we have our people back in school.

Last time, the president said schools will be reopened after all teachers have been vaccinated. How far is the exercise?

Our teachers are doing well in terms of vaccination, the statics we have is that out of 560,000 teachers, we have reached two hundred thousand teachers, the teachers are really responding to the vaccination. There are two things: If we have the teachers vaccinated that will reduce the infection transmission, if we can have many of our elderly people those of 60 years and above with underlying medical problems vaccinated, then it will give us a ray of hope.

Besides closure of schools, what are some of the other impacts of Covid-19 on the education sector?

One thing that I want to be clear about is that I think health takes priority above everything. If we are alive and our generation is alive we will always get to study but when we let people to die like flies, at the end of it all even studies {will not be possible}.One important thing I shall tell you and you appreciate is that the health of our people is very important, then the effects of Covid-19 on the education will be overcome.

Do you think the increase in teenage pregnancies is related to the prolonged closure of schools?

Let me tell you Covid-19 should not reduce our parental role, our key responsibility as parents, the way we nurture our children, the way we do love our children. We should not run away from the responsibility. How do you as a parent have no trust in your home?

You leave the door of your home open for strangers to steal your daughter. You leave your daughters to freely move anywhere and you have got no control and you call yourself a parent and you start blaming the government. Is that fair?

I want to tell you that the government has got a role to play. People are crying for the reopening of the schools, it shows that the school is a safer place which is good but also we need our homes to be safe.

I am calling upon parents to take the responsibility of nurturing responsible citizens of this country.

The government stands accused of neglecting the teachers during this tough time.  Many have even abandoned the profession. Won’t this lead to the shortage of teachers when schools reopen?

The teachers are not neglected. We have been talking and encouraging our teachers, we treasure our teachers and we love our teachers. Teachers are the ones that make up our country, they are the cream of the nation .We can’t neglect our teachers. The only problem is that they have been hit hard because of Covid-19 situation. I want to say that we didn’t neglect our teachers. We love the teachers. We won’t lose our teachers, We have not yet crossed the river. Let's first cross the Nile then we will get to know what is there but for now those that are saying that teachers won’t come back...that is hearsay.

I am a minister and I have got a farm so when I go to my farm does it mean I shouldn’t come back to my work. I am a doctor but I also have other things that I am doing. Let's first cross the river, that is when we shall confirm whether teachers have abandoned the profession. We shall see when we get there.

Talk about the teachers’ money. Most of them are complaining of not getting the money. What really happened and what assurance can you give them?

The teachers Sacco...the president gave them Shs20 billion but we can’t just let out money like that, we need to first build a structure that can support the teachers so that the money can be distributed in an equitable manner, that is why the teachers had to form the association from the grassroots up to the national level. We need to get microfinance structures to channel this money because with money when you just put it like that, not everybody can access it. Few people will be able to access it.

How is the government helping learners at home to continue with their learning as they wait for the reopening of schools?

We have distributed booklets for the primary and secondary and now in the next couple of weeks, we are going to send more materials. Those are self-learning materials .Then of course we are using the television, we are using the radios. We are using the e-learning for the university students. I think we have tried.

Schools in urban areas have embraced online teaching at the expense of those in rural areas without internet and smartphones. Do you think there will be fair competition when schools reopen?

The online learning is taking place in the university and this form is mostly for the university students and it has been approved by the National Council of Science and Technology. Without that we cannot roll such a programme; it is an approved programme.

Sometimes back when you fell critically ill. There were claims that you had been poisoned. What happened?

When was that? But who are those claiming [that I was poisoned]?I need to go back to the database because for now I cannot tell you off head .Why are you asking that? I think that was in 2017 /18 those are quite many years ,so I need to go back and check the record and I will let you know.