Many Things Need to Be Done Before Re-opening of Schools in South Sudan

By John Garang Ayii Riak, Juba, South Sudan

Tuesday, September 29, 2020 (PW) — In late February and earlier March 2020, all the government institutions including schools and offices were totally closed down in all the continents of the world due to the deadly COVID 19 pandemics. After few months, some countries realized that it is not wise to remains in lockdown and to waiting for the right time in the lockdowns caused by the Coronavirus, many countries and towns resorted to re-open the schools and working institutions to teach and work through online and distance learning using ICT devices such as laptop computers and smart phones. While other countries like Uganda and South Sudan remained in the lockdowns, but the question was that;

“If we don’t open public institutions and schools, how will children and adults reach their full potential and contribute to the future and stability of their families, communities and the national economies?”

Recently, the National Cabinets had passed the resolution that all the institution of learning and schools should be re-opened immediately and this was announced on September 9^th, 2020 by National Minister for Information, Hon. Michael Makuei Lueth. But again, it has been declared last week by the Minister of General Education and Instructions, that the candidate classes such as primary 8 and senior 4 will be reopened on 5^th of October 2020 while the rests of the classes will be reopened in April next year 2021. Therefore, this is a welcomed idea to re-open all the institutions of learning for the betterment of our country, but the question is that;

“Is there any accurate medical research done on the COVID-19 or data in order to know number of the new infected, suspected cases, death, recovered patients, and the total rates of the infection in the country?”

If the answer is No, this means we are playing a losing game or suicidal action. Then, I suggest that the following should be done by the national Ministries of Education, Health, Finance, and International Education and Health Partners before the reopening of the institutions of higher learning and schools;

To Ministries of Health and International Health Partners;

First and foremost, the Rapid Need Assessment (RNA) should be collectively done by the ministries of health and WHO so that the actually level of the disease should be known whether it has reducing or increasing stagnant at the initial level. Furthermore, the ministry of health and the International partners who are dealing health sector should provide preventive equipment to the institutions of learning such as frequent hand sanitizers, face-masks, temperature taking or measurements, installation of handwashing clean water facilities and provision of soaps.

To add on the list; the Health and its’ International Partners should also do the massive campaign awareness to enlighten people to observe the guidelines and preventive measures set by our National Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO) and International Organization who are dealing in the health sector to ensure adequate, clean and clearly marked separate toilets for girls and boys, ensure soap and safe water is available at age-appropriate hand washing stations,  Possible increase hand wash stations (Tippy taps etc.) Encourage frequent and thorough handwashing (at least 20 seconds), place hand sanitizers in toilets, classrooms, halls, and near exits where possible (or let teachers have the hand sanitizers to dispense).

To move on, to incorporate relevant health education into other subjects, and teach and model good hygiene practices in the schools. In addition, the International Health Partners to provide the sodium hypochlorite at 0.5% (equivalent 5000ppm) for disinfecting surfaces and 70% ethyl alcohol for disinfection of small items, and ensure appropriate equipment for cleaning is available. They should also ensure trash is removed daily and disposed of safely, if possible, each institution should have closable bins in all classrooms and on the school premises and learners or workers should wash their hands after handling solid waste.

To the Ministries of Education, School and International Education Partners;

To add on the list, the Ministry of General Education and Instructions (MoGEIs) should construct a well-designed a child-friendly spaces, signs encouraging good hand and respiratory hygiene practices such as, upon entry onto school premises, in the classrooms, in areas for breaks and meals, separated toiletsfor boys and girls in the schools, teachers lounges and other meeting areas, and hostels or dormitories, and installation of hand washing water tanks in the schools.

To move, the MoGEIs should enact the policy to espouse the ICT and advocate for espousal of the ICT system as mode of teaching, learning, and working process because we don’t know the true scale of the COVID-19 pandemic since we don’t have accurate data of new infected, death and recovered people, but we should not assume that Corona Virus has gone or slowed down without scientific evidences and this will curb the threat of the COVID-19 and this should be made as nationwide policy that ICT should be used right away from primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions of higher learning and the learning and teaching exercise should be change from traditional way of face to face teaching into online or distance learning style.

In addition, the ministries of educations should provide enough funds to purchase ICT devices in all the learning institutions and schools to provide access to learning and teaching process to both the learners and instructors. Furthermore, government should also carryout radio awareness on back to learning campaigns and encouraging parents to buy computers and smart phones devices to their children to access learning materials online. Campaign awareness of usage and promotion of the ICT should be encouraged and the parents should also be encouraged to buys computers, iPad and smart phones to their children for learning and research purposes.

Upon Entry onto School Premises Controlled, Orderly and Supervised Entry. School should make strict rules and regulations, not everyone enter into the school at the same timeand lines should be drawn for parade and every one should keep distance whenever possible (minimum 1 meter), parents or general public should not enter the school premises without appointment (to be recorded for tracing), upon entry of premisesand wash hands or disinfect them with hand sanitiser.

On the School Premises Strict Health Preventive Measures Must Be Applied.

Wash hands several times during the day, Coughing or sneezing into the elbow or a tissue (which is thrown into a covered bin immediately), keep distance (minimum 1 meter), avoid screaming, running, contact game playing, avoid assemblies, sports games and wearing of mask should be encouraged in the schools.

In the Classrooms

Before entry into a classroom, wash hands can be done, windows should be opened to ventilate the room regularly if possible (e.g. every hour for 5 minutes), coughing or sneezing into elbow or a tissue (which is thrown into a covered bin immediately), avoid tool sharing, if unavoidable, wash hands after every session or class. Shared tools could be teaching board, chalks, markers, rulers, sharpeners etc., consider having a fixed seating chart, where every learner has a fixed seat in a classroom. Seating charts should be written down and shared with all learners, teachers and ideally parents, keep reminding learners and teachers to keep distance! (minimum 1 meter)

Teachers Lounges and Other Meeting Areas

Not all at once. Set maximum persons for room per time period, keep distance (minimum 1 meter), coughing or sneezing into elbow or a tissue (which is thrown into a covered bin immediately), encourage parents to engage teachers via phone and or online.

Hostels

Controlled entry and exit, not everyone at the same time, keep distance whenever possible (minimum 1 meter). Upon entry of premises, wash hands or disinfect them with hand sanitiser. Have guidelines on who learners can contact if they do not feel well. If learners don’t feel well, they should not go to class and need to isolate without being stigmatized.

Breaks and Meal Areas

Not all at once, set maximum, ensure good discipline – no pushing, stampede or running, learners should keep distance! (minimum 1 meter). Coughing or sneezing into elbow or a tissue (which is thrown into a covered bin immediately). Wash hands before and after eating, disinfect eating tables and utensils used after each break and meals

To the Ministry of Finance and Education:

Apart from the above preventive measures mentioned above, the government should also increase teacher remunerations, incentives and pay them on time in order to boost teachers’morale and make them to double their efforts in teaching process, because the teachers or professors are the key implementers of all these policies and without political and professional will, therefore, all these measures will not be implemented or achieved because the success of the school or learner depends on the teacher as the proverb says that, “when the heart is willing there is thousand way of success, but when the heart is not willing there will also be thousand way of failing.”

To Ministry of Information, Communication, Technologyand Postal Services plus the National Communication Authority (NCA) Institution.

I strongly appeal to the above two institutions to do the massive awareness about of ICT in teaching, learning and working environment so that people should adopt the using of ICT. In this country, many people are illiterate in ICT including those who have ICT devices such as laptop and smart phones. Many uses only less ten (10) percentage for study purpose because most of the youth uses smart phones for photos. The Ministry of ICT and NCA should work hard hand in hand to acquire more ICT applications or devices such as desktop and laptop computers for training purposes.

In addition, staff in the aforementioned institutions should be sent outside for training purposes and the ministry should also plan to train teachers in the ICT and they should and teacher the pupils and students in the schools. Furthermore, both Ministry of ICT and the NCA should work collective to open the ICT centers across the nation for training in the ICT applications and usage. The Ministry of ICT and the NCA should revise the current curriculums right away from Primary to the Higher Learning Institutions so that they incorporate and integrate the ICT in the national curriculums because many learners don’t know the use of the ICT applications. 

Lastly, the aforesaid Institutions should boost the internet speed system in order to be faster and cover all the nation so that every worker or learner should have access to internet at his / her dwellings to ensure the effective online learning styles both abled bodies and also learners with special needs.

I recommend that the ICT should be one of the compulsory courses in our curriculums because it has a lot of advantages and to mention a few; it’s eradicate illiteracy in the nation because it is among the latest innovations that has transformed section actions in the world in the field of education since it has recently created such platforms and opportunities that have facilitated to some extent the acquisition of knowledge. The ICT offers wide-ranging help on numerous forms of social and economic development.

Wireless communications broaden access to information, improve capital access, overcome geographic limitations, and expand market access. With phones and tablets booming at a significant rate, these communications tools enable disadvantaged individuals to access a wider range of investors, suppliers, and customers. Combined with social media platforms, people can extend their reach through mobile devices and pool resources in meaningful ways and nothing can be effectively done without the ICT applications.

Conclusively; I am appealing to all the learners and workers to intensively use the ICT because it is very important in learning, teaching and working environments, without better ICT applications you cannot be excellent worker, teacher or smart students, for instance, the ICT is the leading factor in labor market in this 21^st century and let’s take ICT as one of the options we have during the COVID-19. I am equally appealing to the teachers and the parents as well to encourage the students to buy and use the ICT as part of the changes triggered by the COVID-19. 

Internationally, educational systems are adopting new technologies to integrate ICT in the teaching and learning, and working environment to prepare learners and workers with the knowledge and skills they need in their subject matter. The ICT is always a fast and convenient means of teaching, learning and working process for now during the COVID-19 and it will remain in use for the rests of human’s history for the continuity of public services. 

Therefore, I wish that all the above-mentioned things should be done before the reopening of the schools.

John Garang Ayii Riak, the author, is a holder of Master’s Degree in Comparative Education from Zhejiang Normal University, China and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Bugema University, Uganda. The author can be reached at: (johngayii2014@gmail.com)

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