Members of Parliament on Tuesday, July 21, expressed concerns over plans to reopen schools in September citing a spike in Covid-19 cases in recent days.
The legislators noted this as Prime Minister Eduard Ngirente addressed them on measures put in place by the government to contain the pandemic.
Many MPs who spoke commended the efforts by the government, citizens and other partners in ensuring that the pandemic is contained at its earliest stage.
However, they cited concerns over the reopening of schools that may kick-off amid the pandemic, questioning to whether the government has put in place appropriate measures to prevent the spread of this virus among students and teachers by the time schools reopen in September.
"When you talk to children, they tell you how they miss their colleagues and how they will hug them when schools reopen, which one can relate to another concern of the apparent overcrowding in schools. What preventive measures have you put in place that can allay fears of parents in this regard?" said MP Pierre Claver Rwaka.
MP Frank Habineza also raised a similar concern.
"Looking at the current state of the pandemic in the country, I think September is too early to reopen schools because it would expose both students and teachers," he noted.
Also, MP Suzan Mukayijori inquired on how social distancing will be observed in schools when they resume.
"Social Distancing has been initiated in many institutions and places. How will you ensure such measures in schools for the sake of our children?" she asked.
Reopening schools will be guided by science
Calming concerns by MPs, the Premier explained that September is not the precise date of the reopening of schools.
He said that all necessary directives will be issued to ensure schools reopening will not create more diverse effects vis-à-vis the pandemic.
"The reopening of schools will be based on a health assessment. We didn’t say that schools will reopen in September but instead announced that schools can never reopen before that time due to how we were seeing the state of the virus in the country,” he said.
He added:"This was to help all stakeholders in the education sector to act accordingly, because they knew that schools could not reopen before September.
"By mid-August the government will assess the condition of the pandemic in the country and, as it has been the case of other decisions taken in this regard, resolve when schools can be reopened.”
Ngirente also said that the government is aware of worries of Covid-19 spread possibilities when schools reopen, and therefore will plan accordingly.
"It is true that all necessary preventive measures have to be put in place to ensure that the pandemic won’t be spread among students and teachers by the time schools reopen. We are working with different stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education in this regard,” he said.
The decision to halt schools was taken by the government of Rwanda immediately on March 14 after confirming the country’s first Covid-19 case. The decision was in bid to curb the further spread of the pandemic.
On May 01, a cabinet meeting resolved that schools shall not reopen before September this year.