Learners overwhelm Schools on first day of Schools re-opening.

By VOM News Team

Kisoro Municipality and its surrounding areas were yesterday abuzz with human activity as both parents and their children alike were engaged in last minute shopping.

In a race against time, different parents zigzagged through the streets of Kivengeri, Mutanda and Kisoro main streets, hoping to buy the basic necessities and have their children safely back at school before late.

Boda Boda riders in the district, who pretty much, had themselves a lucrative business day could still be seen ferrying parents and children from point A to Point B into the late hours of the night.

Kisoro district Education Officer Emmanuel Mwunvaneza says a field visit to different schools in the district revealed that learners had not yet fully reported back.

The comments come as the country officially re-opened learning institutions including Early Child Care Centers, Primary and Secondary schools.

“We were not pleased with the turn up of learners in most schools because the numbers were very low. We are calling on the parents to send their children to school”, Mwunvaneza said

Mwunvaneza however says he was pleased to learn that 90% of the teachers had reported back to their schools.

According to Kisoro district education statistics of 2020, Mwunvaneza says documented primary school pupils in Government aided schools are 73,225 and 5,005 students for secondary schools.

“We are still working on gathering more data on enrollment for our students in the district because we do not have the exact numbers for new learners in Primary One, Primary Two, Primary three and Senior One”, Mwunvaneza explained.

Some Schools in Kisoro Municipality including Kisoro Demonstration Primary School had only 8 pupils, Kisoro Primary School 15 pupils, Amazing grace Primary school 200 pupils among others.

Schools Speak out

The head teacher Gitovu Primary School Sunday Julius says he was pleased with the turn up of pupils at the school.

Sunday says all his teachers also present which was encouraging.

“We received over 500 pupils today and we thank the parents who sent their children to school, we had earlier mobilized through the churches and so parents responded positively”, Julius explained

Julius says the only challenge is the limited number of class room blocks which will not allow them to observe Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

“We are considering constructing some make shift tents in the school compound because we only have 9 class room blocks and yet the children who reported are so many”, Julius said

A similar challenge of overwhelming numbers of learners was experienced at Gihuranda Primary School, according to the Schools’ head teacher Ben Muwanga.

Muwanga says 280 pupils came on the first day alongside 17 teachers. The biggest challenge he anticipates is that, the school hopes to have more than 1000 pupils by the end of the week.

“We have limited school furniture at the school and the classrooms will not be adequate therefore following SOPs will not be possible, Muwanga explained