Schools re-open on September 20: Janet Museveni asks Finance Minister to release capitation grant

Firsts Lady and Minister of Education Janet Museveni has written to the Minister of Finance, Matia Kasaija asking him to release the capitation grant for third term as the education sector sets for phased re-opening of schools.

Usually, the government releases capitation grant to schools to help in running school activities, however due to the closure of schools in March by the government to combat the spread of COVID-19, the funds that were supposed to be released in July have not been released something that the First Lady says should be addressed since schools are reopening in about two weeks from now.

In a letter dated 2^nd September, Ms Museveni says the request is referred to the meeting held on 1^st September by President Yoweri Museveni and the National COVID-19 Task Force at State House Entebbe.

The letter is copied to the President of Uganda, the Prime Minister, ministers of State for Education, Permanent Secretary to Treasury and Permanent Secretary ministry of Education and Sports.

‘’The meeting resolved that a phased re-opening of schools, starting with candidate classes be implemented starting 20^th September 2020. It has been brought to my attention that the capitation grant for the third term was not released to the schools in July due to the fact that the institutions were still closed,” Ms Museveni noted.

‘’On account of the position held in the above stated meeting, this is therefore to request you to case the release of funds to the beneficially schools to prepare for the phased re-opening of schools’’ she added.

Capitation grant is money set by the government to government schools to aid on instructional materials, co-curricular activities, school maintenance, and payment for utilities such as electricity and water. Each pupil gets UGX17, 000 per year in government-aided primary schools, whereas in secondary schools, each A-level student gets UGX88000 and UGX55000 for O-level per term as capitation grant.

The call by Minister Janet comes following decision by President Museveni and the National Council for Higher Education to reopen institutions for final year students.

In a September, 1, 2020 letter to Vice-Chancellors and Principals of institutions offering health-related courses in the country, the Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education, Prof. Mary Okwakol says: “I am pleased to inform you that the President has approved the re-opening of institutions with final year students undertaking health-related training. This is to enable students complete their studies so as to fill the human resource hap the health sector would like to face.”

The phased reopening of institutions will cover final students undertaking training at Bachelors level in Medicine and Bachelors of Surgery, Nursing, Midwifery, Dental Surgery, Pharmacy and Allied Medical Professionals.

The other group includes Finalists Postgraduate students in health related programmes, Post graduate students as well as finalists undertaking training at Diploma level at different disciplines.

All the groups have been cleared to reopen on September 20^th on condition that they follow the SOPs set by ministry of Health to curb the spread of COVID-19.