Yambio launches back to learning campaign
Photo by Baraka John Asia: date 5th October 2020
The state Ministry of Education in Western Equatoria State has on Monday launched a back to learning campaign to encourage senior four and primary eight candidates to resume classes on the 5th of October, 2020, a date set by the national Ministry of General Education for reopening of candidate classes across the country.
The launching of back to learning campaign was organized by the State Ministry of Education and its partner UNICEF.
The event drew candidates from different primary and secondary schools within Yambio Municipality, teachers, UNICEF representatives, and education specialists to attend the official reopening of the candidates’ classes.
In his address to the candidates, the Acting Director General at the state Ministry of Education Mr. Charles Ikpiro said the back to leaning initiative was aimed at encouraging candidate learners, who lost interest in leaning due to the prolonged closure of schools, to pick up interet and rejoin their studies. Mr. Ikpiro says learning will run for six days in a week to allow teachers double their efforts to recover the lessons missed due to the closure of schools as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Today we are welcoming you the candidates back to school, it has been over six months that you have missed classes, as you can see the flag that we are holding is written, “back to learning”, and as you know the whole world was hit badly by the covid-19 pandemic, maintain social distancing, wash your hands frequently, and put on face mask while in the class,” he advised.
However, Mr. Ikpiro expressed disappointment over the girls who got pregnant during the closure of the schools. “It is very unfortunate that some of you the girls have got pregnant, and as I speak there are some who are among you here whom I guess are pregnant. It is unfortunate, please try as much as you can to stay away from men and continue with your studies,” Mr. Ikpiro said.
the education director said the reopening of candidate classes will see them beginning lessons of term two which will run up to the 15th of December 2020, and break for holidays, while term three begins on 5th January 2021. He said primary eight candidates are expected to sit for their papers in February 2021, while senior four candidates will begin to write their examination question papers in the third week of March 2021. According to Mr. Ikpiro over 5,000 primary eight candidates registered at the beginning of the academic year 2020, while about 2,000 senior four candidates registered in the state.
He however expressed concern over the number of the candidates enrolled for their unsafe return to class due to several reports citing many school girls have got pregnant while some school boys have been imprisoned for involving themselves in criminal activities.
Meanwhile Mr. Clement Mbiko Gbatanawo UNICEF acting head of field office in WES, has reiterated the organization’s commitment to supporting the candidates with wash facilities including, soap, buckets, facemasks and other protective kits to keep the learners and teachers follow the covid-19 protocol.
“My remarks to you candidates, take this massage to your brothers and sisters who are in other schools who were not able to attend this function that you need to double your effort to read hard in the remaining months for you to pass your examination. Schools have reopened let parents leave candidates classes P8 and Senior 4 to come and continue with their learning according to the arrangement the government has set forth. Please the fact is coronavirus is real we cannot say WES is exceptional, we have five cases conformed in the state, that means we have corona virus in the WES, so we have to be very careful in how we interact, coronavirus has come to change the way we behave, we have to adopt the new normal wearing facemasks when you are in the class when you are interacting with your fellow colleagues, maintaining social distance and frequent hand wash”.
Meanwhile senior four and primary eight candidates have expressed gratitude to the ministry of education as they resume classes.
Gamboripia Grace Bapia a female student at Abangite College of science and technology, during the launching of back to learning campaign at St. Mary primary school she said, the reopening of candidate classes has resurrected their hopes of completing the cycle of the current stage and join the next cycle.
Grace said, coronavirus has negatively impacted on most of them who either got pregnant or have been jailed for committing crimes.
Despite all these challenges the candidates vowed to cooperate with their teachers to regain all the lesson they have lost during the closure of the schools and this is what they had to say:
Mr. Zambako Monday a primary eight candidates at St. Mary primary school, described the coronavirus as their world war that has affected all sectors in the globe, citing he was almost to give on education due to the prolong closure of schools, but thanks to the government and its partners to reopen schools for candidates to resume their studies.
Source: Baraka John