The Ministry of Education and Sports has given green light to schools to organize and participate in games and sports events, but maintained the ban on visitation days.
Before the reopening of schools, the Ministry of Education and Sports issued tough guidelines limiting schools from conducting sports activities that might involve body contact as one of the means to prevent the likely spread of COVID-19 in schools.
Schools were rather advised to encourage learners to conduct individual health exercises such as push up, stretching while observing the required two-metre distance.
Now, Dr. Denis Mugimba, the Education ministry spokesperson, says that after reviewing the situation in schools, they have allowed schools to host galas for internal and inter-school competitions. He however cautions that schools should be strict with the recommended SOP in each sport or game.
The move comes at a time when many schools are planning to start preparation for different regional and national games and sports as reflected on the sports calendar. Such activities have not happened in the last two years due to concerns regarding COVID-19 transmission.
The Physical Education department released a road map to guide sports activities in schools. Several schools and event Organisers had started calling for entries in different sports and games but, without a clear guideline from the ministry, some schools had remained puzzled on whether to participate or not.
Sports events in schools are held in four different sets beginning with the class or house competition at the individual school level. Some sports like football and athletics have an inter-school competition running from sub-country to national and at times East African level. In other arrangements, some schools can decide to have their own inter-school sports galas and activities as they deem fit.
Before the ministry’s pronouncement on the matter, several schools and districts had decided not to hold or participate in sports and games activities. For instance, schools in districts like Kabale have already communicated that they will not participate in this year’s inter-schools competitions which are slated to kick off early next month.
Dr. Denis Mugimba says although the ministry has allowed schools to participate in the sports and games activities, it is not mandatory and therefore schools can have decided not to take part if they think that it’s not yet safe for their children.
The sports administrators have 67already warned that with the continued closure of schools, several individuals will lose their respective talents since there is no platform where to display their abilities in different sporting disciplines.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mugimba says that school Schools should not hold school visitation days due to fears that parents might expose learners to COVId19. The Ministry spokesperson says the ministry has received information that some have called for visitation days, disputing them as annual general meetings.
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