On October 29, 2021, the President of Uganda said all schools will open in January 2022, regardless of the status of the vaccination program.
About 40% of Uganda’s primary schools and 60% of its secondaries are private institutions, run by individuals, religious organisations, charities, and businesses, with no help from the local authorities. With no government support, their main source of income is through school fees, which may cover many running costs, including teachers’ salaries, which range from $100 to $250 (350,000 to 880,000 Ugandan shillings) a month.
Education remains at crossroads during the Covid-19 pandemic. The lockdowns account for school closures that have left almost two dead years for most of the school-going children. Reports highlight numerous challenges facing the learners including child neglect and abuse; physical, sexual, and psychological. Schools for Refugees plans to open a new nursery school classroom building on the St. Bakhita campus on January 1, 2022, and continue to provide scholarship aid to 28 secondary(high school) students who graduated from St. Bakhita N&P.
2020 School Shutdown
The Uganda government closed schools, including St. Bakhita Nursery and Primary School until May 19, 2020, due to the concern about spreading the covid-19 virus. That date may be extended. The students and teachers are staying close to home and due to lack of textbooks and computers, formal learning has come to a halt. As of May 16, in the entire country of Uganda, are 227 reported cases of the virus with no deaths and no community transmission. 42 cases are Uganda nationals. 63 have recovered, There is one reported case in the neighboring town of Masindi. Most cases are foreign truck drivers tested and quarantined at the eastern and northern borders.