Ministry of Education Dismisses Ebola School Closure Rumours

The Ministry of Education and Sports has dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that schools will soon be closed due to a recent rise in Ebola cases.

The ministry assured parents, learners, and school administrators that there are currently no plans to close educational institutions and urged the public to disregard unverified information being shared online.

Speaking on the matter, Ministry of Education spokesperson Dr. Dennis Mugimba called on stakeholders to rely only on official government communication channels.

“Please disregard videos and social media messages speculating about the closure of educational institutions. Parents and school administrators are encouraged to remain alert and continue observing the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Ministry of Health,” Dr. Mugimba said in a statement released on June 1.

He stressed the importance of verifying information and trusting updates only from authorized Government of Uganda sources to prevent unnecessary panic.

The ministry’s clarification comes amid growing concern among parents, many of whom fear a repeat of the school closures experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the school term already in progress, some parents worry about losing school fees they have struggled to raise.

“There is a lot of anxiety,” said one parent. “I recently took out a loan to pay fees for my five children. The same thing happened in 2020 when schools closed shortly after I had paid. Although the schools refunded the money, I am still paying off debts. Raising school fees is not easy.”

Uganda’s education sector continues to recover from the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Schools officially reopened on January 10, 2022, after an 83-week closure, the longest continuous school shutdown recorded globally.

Concerns have also been fueled by recent developments across the border. According to the Ministry of Health, Uganda had registered nine confirmed Ebola cases by May 31, including two new infections reported in the latest epidemiological update.

As part of efforts to prevent the spread of the disease, the government last week temporarily closed the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Ebola cases have been increasing.

Announcing the decision on May 27, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, said the measure was agreed upon during a National Task Force meeting chaired by Vice President Jessica Alupo.

“Due to the continued escalation of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and challenges linked to cross-border movements, the National Task Force resolved to temporarily close the Uganda-DRC border with immediate effect,” Dr. Atwine said.

She added that only authorized Ebola response teams, humanitarian workers, cargo transporters, and security personnel would be allowed through, subject to strict health screening procedures.For now, the Ministry of Education maintains that schools remain safe for learners as long as health guidelines and SOPs continue to be observed.