Covid-19: How schools are ensuring learners’ safety

Several schools – nursery, primary and secondary – resumed face to face learning on Monday, November 2, after more than seven months without attending physical classrooms in bid to prevent possible Covid-19 spread. Unlike secondary school students who are regarded as grown-ups and may easily adapt to observing Covid-19 preventive guidelines, concerns arose on whether nursery and primary students will cope with the new normal. According to the recently released school calendar, students who resumed studies on Monday are those in primary 5 and 6, those in senior 3, 5 and 6, those in TVET and students in TTC. However, some international schools have also reopened doors for nursery and lower primary learners. At the door of every classroom at Wellspring Academy hand sanitizer has been installed to ensure students and teachers disinfect their hands before entering. The New Times visited some nursery and primary schools to see measures put in place and how learners are adhering. At the entrance of Silver Bells, an international school based in Kimironko Sector that has both nursery and lower primary sections, sanitizer cans have been set up that parents and their children use to disinfect their hands before entering the school building. Everyone who accessed the school must have their temperature taken. The school has also put in place several child-friendly drawings on walls of the school building that remind students to wear their facemasks properly and avoid hugging each other. Wellspring Academy students maintain social distancing while doing physical exercises during break. Dan Nsengiyumva Speaking to The New Times, Evas Kyomugisha, Executive Director of Silver Bells, said that children have also been given uniform facemasks bearing their names to prevent any possible sharing of facemasks. She said: “We have realized that kids might exchange facemasks, and therefore made an order of school facemasks that are uniform and have names of children written on them. We also made sure that every class has a washing terminal and a wide-open window as recommended by the Ministry of Education.” She said they have set up a taskforce that include teachers, parents and medic professionals that will help monitor the situation. Students at Silver Bells have been given identical facemasks each with their names so they do not feel the need to exchange. Dan Nsengiyumva Wellspring Academy is another private school that reopened studies for upper primary and secondary students on Monday. In addition to facilities put in place to ensure social distancing in classrooms, regular hand washing and temperature screening, the school also has a Covid-19 taskforce that assists in preventing any possible spread of the pandemic. “Our Covid-19 taskforce is made up of 14 individuals who include parents, teachers and two medical doctors from a nearby clinic, to help the school prevent any possible spread of this pandemic among students or teachers,” said Stephen Rudakemwa, Principal of Wellspring Academy. General picture The Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education (Mineduc), Gaspard Twagirayezu, told The New Times that no major violation of Covid-19 preventive guidelines has been detected on the first day. The students of Wellspring Academy wash their hands at a washing terminal before they enter class. Dan Nsnengiyumva “The first day has been impressive in regards to adhering to Covid-19 preventive measures, according to reports from our team that did inspection in different schools country-wide. “Nonetheless, we have noticed some minor challenges such as students who are not yet used to wearing their facemasks properly the whole day while at school, because it is their first day in these times.” He added: “The Ministry of Education in partnership with other stakeholders will continue to do inspection so as to prevent any possible spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, and keep on creating more awareness on guidelines of preventive this pandemic.” As per Mineduc, for schools that follow the national calendar, the second term will end on April 2, and the third term will last for 12 weeks, starting on April 19 and end on July 9, next year.

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Covid-19: How schools are ensuring learners’ safety