By Vicent Emong
KUMI — The Head Teacher of Bazaar World Primary School in Kumi Municipality, Francis Oligo, has blamed misinformation and rumors surrounding Ebola for the low turnout of learners in schools as the new school term begins.
Speaking at the school premises, Oligo revealed that only 477 pupils had reported back to school out of the institution’s total enrollment of 1,689 learners.
According to him, many parents were misled by rumors circulating within communities claiming that schools had been stopped from reopening due to fears of another Ebola outbreak in Uganda.
“We have continued encouraging parents to bring their children to school because there is no official report stopping schools from opening,” Oligo said.
The head teacher clarified that neither the Ministry of Education nor the government had issued any communication directing schools to close.
He emphasized that teaching and learning had officially resumed and urged parents not to rely on unverified information spreading through communities and social media platforms.
Oligo explained that the school had already put in place preventive measures to safeguard learners and staff in case of any health emergency.
He noted that handwashing facilities had been installed around the school while additional measures were being introduced to strengthen safety and hygiene.
“We are fully prepared in case the Ministry of Health or government issues any communication regarding Ebola prevention,” he said.
The head teacher also explained that the gun-like gadget he carried during the interview was a screening device previously used during earlier disease outbreaks.
According to him, the school still retains testing and screening equipment from previous health emergencies to help manage any future outbreaks.
“We already have isolation rooms and contact numbers for the DPC and DHO offices for quick response in case of any suspected cases,” Oligo noted.
He stressed that there was no reason for parents to keep children at home because the country had not declared any quarantine or closure of schools.
“Some parents have simply received wrong information and believed schools had been closed. Others are relying on rumors they hear or reports they see on television,” he explained.
Oligo warned that prolonged absence from school would negatively affect syllabus coverage and academic progress for learners.
“Wasting more time will affect syllabus coverage. Even if any unexpected situation comes later, at least learners will have covered some work,” he said.
He further assured parents that teachers had already started lessons on the very first day of the term and that the school remained committed to ensuring a safe learning environment.
The head teacher concluded by appealing to all parents and guardians to send children back to school immediately so that learning activities can continue normally.
Health and education officials across the country have continued urging the public to remain calm, observe hygiene measures, and rely only on official communication from government authorities regarding Ebola and other public health concerns.
