The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged universities insisting on having end of semester examinations during the national lockdown to reconsider.
This comes after universities like Uganda Christian University (UCU) informed students that they would be sitting for end of semester examinations online even during the ongoing school institution lockdown. The univerisity has been conducting lessons with students via online teaching portals.
While addressing the nation on the latest developments around the COVID-19 on Wednesday night, President Museveni asked universities to reschedule the examinations until the lockdown is called off. He said that they will not make any exemptions when it comes to this.
“Stop talking language of normalcy. We are not In a time of things being normal. If we give exemption to one university, how about the others. And even the ones you give exemptions to, are you not endangering them?” Museveni asked.
The president urged the universities in question to be patient. “The best thing is just to lie low for a limited period,” said President Museveni.
Last week, the minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataha Museveni announced a new school calendar that would see students in higher institutions of learning report to school on the May 2, 2020 in-case the situation does is controlled.
Mrs Museveni says universities should wait for the opening of schools before they issue examinations so as to protect life.
“It would be unfair for some learners to do the exams while others are not. What is important right now is for everyone to remain safe. When this crisis is over, the learners can come and continue with their studies. What is important is to protect the life,” said Mrs Museveni on Wednesday.
In a statement issued by the University Vice-chancellor, Dr John Senyonyi early this week, he told learners that examination would be cancelled after some learners had reported the issue to Members of Parliament.
“The univerisity committed to provide you with an Internet Bundle (without further charge) sufficient for you to download the examinations, do them, and upload the answer sheets to send them back to the University for grading. Amidst all this, it came to our attention that some (few) students petitioned Parliament against the Take-Home Examinations. Therefore, in compliance with the Minister’s directive, I must regretfully inform you that we shall not issue you with the examinations as we had intended,”Dr Senyonyi said in a statement.
So far, Uganda has a total of 53 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Globally, the number of infected persons stands at over 1.4 million people.
******
URN
