Eighteen public primary and secondary schools in Entebbe municipality have been fumigated, thanks to the municipal and division authorities.
Entebbe municipal comprises 15 government-aided primary schools and 3 government-aided secondary schools namely Airforce Secondary School, Entebbe SS, and Comprehensive SS. As part of preparations for the reopening of all schools on January 10, the Municipal and Division councils hired fumigation companies to fumigate public schools and slash their compounds.
The fumigation aims at killing pests like rats and insects such as cockroaches, mosquitoes that could have colonized the schools during the prolonged closure as part of the COVID-19 containment measures. Some of the fumigated schools include Lake Victoria Primary School, Changsha Model Primary School, and St. Joseph Primary School.
Stephen Nabende, the Headteacher of Lake Victoria Primary School lauds the local government authorities for facilitating schools to prepare for re-opening. Nabende hopes to use the capitation grant of Shillings six million for the anticipated 800 learners to repair the six water-borne toilets, buy sanitizers and body temperature guns among other things needed for implementation of the COVID-19 standard operating procedures-SOPs.
Sarah Monica Nabirye, the Entebbe Municipal Education Officer, says that they have asked the schools to use only Shillings 1.5 million from the capitation grant for the SOPs and use the rest of the money to provide the most critical needs such as buying desks, replacement of glasses for doors and windows and facelifts.
The municipal education office has submitted a request of Shillings 30 million to procure desks, paint, and other items for some of the public primary and secondary schools. However, some of the schools need construction of new toilets, replacement of lightning arrestors among other items. As a result, such schools will have to reopen amidst such challenges.
Ronnah Nakamya, the Headteacher of Changsha Model Primary School, says she will use the Shillings 1.5 million to buy equipment like foot washing machines, sanitizers, and emergency face masks.
Nabirye says she has also inspected the 103 private primary and secondary schools in the municipality and is optimistic that they will also be ready to re-open on Monday.
Goodwill Premium Academy is the only school that has so far notified the Municipal Council that it will not open. The management of the primary school says it has been permanently closed, according to Nabirye.
Moses Amanyire, the chairperson of Works, Environment, Health and Education at Division A in Entebbe Municipality, says that councilors have not monitored the schools due to a lack of funds.
