By Andrew Irumba
After unveiling the first ever online classes for primary school pupils in Uganda, the Management of Kampala Parents’ School (KPS) has announced guidelines that will be followed by pupils and parents so that this initiative can be fruitful.
According to the KPS Management, the online classes, which are aimed at keeping pupils engaged in schooling despite the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, will kick off on Tuesday 26 May, 2020 for Primary five, six and seven, while classes for Primary three and four will start on 29 May, 2020, whereas top class, Primary one and two will start on 4 June, 2020.
Speaking to this Website, the school Principal, Daphine Kato, revealed that the online learning porgrammes will begin with Term One work which was not completed due to the abrupt ending of the term, and slowly progress onto Term Two work.
Ms Kato revealed in a circular dated 22 May, 2020 that; “After completion of first term material, we will embark on term two syllabus. We should also not overlook the fact that the school has invested heavily in the infrastructure to enable the online lessons go on smoothly for the benefit of learners.”
She also added that the teachers will be accommodated at the school premises because of the restrictive movements brought about by the lockdown in the country.
“During the first week of online teaching, there will be induction and revision of the holiday work. We shall issue a time table for online classes which will be flexible where need be,” Ms Kato added.
The development comes after the Management of KPS announced a resolution to start televised classes for primary seven pupils on NTV Uganda through live lessons at a free cost until the end of the lockdown. The lessons are aired from Monday to Friday starting at 11:00 Am to 12:00 pm, and on Saturdays- 8:00am to 9:00 am.
The initiative is one of the moves devised by the school to help learners remain abreast with their studies until the COVID-19 lockdown that was announced by President Yoweri Museveni in March this year, which saw the closure of schools, tertiary institutions and universities is lifted.
It should be noted that during his 14th National Address on COVID-19, President Museveni said Education institutions will open on 4 June but only for finalists/candidate classes and noted that there will be no first-term examinations.
However, as a way of keeping other lower primary pupils engaged in active schooling, the Management of KPS decided to introduce online classes, such that pupils who are not in candidate classes can also have an opportunity to study during this COVID-19 Lockdown.
