There has been low turn up of final year students in different universities and institutions of higher learning on the first day in classes.
Universities reopened for their final year students starting from 15th October last week and had to start lectures today. However, the students reported in a few numbers.
In a class of about 50 students, only 15 students were present and ready for the first lectures as it was observed at universities like Makerere University, Kampala international university, Kyambogo University, Makerere business school, MTAC among others.
This website learnt that some students remained in their hostels because they know that most times, lecturers do not come in the first days. This was proved since students were found alone in lecture rooms yet it was the time when they were supposed to have lectures.
At Kampala international school, students were in the school compound interacting with colleagues.
Jane Nakimuli says she did not expect teaching on the first day, so she just came around to meet friends and plan for the rest of the periods.
The situation at Kyambogo and Makerere universities was not different. Some lecture rooms, class coordinators were found addressing fellow students.
Kellen Munguleni a finalist of Kyambogo University and a coordinator in her class explains her experience on the first day and notes that students are still reporting from their homes because even in hostels, they are still few.
Munguleni reveals that there was no reason for them coming for lectures because even lecturers did not show up to teach them.
Ronex Atwiine, a finalist at Makerere business school reveals that she did not expect all the students to come for the lectures since some of them are still coming from their homes to hostels.
Eagle online observed that most of the lecture rooms at Makerere business school were still closed, only few were open of which were empty. Few students were sitting on resting benches in the university.
Dominic Kyambade a finalist of Kyambogo University from engineering faculty notes that at Kyambogo it’s the culture students and lectures cannot appear in the first days.
In all the universities we visited, the management set up the standard operating procedures (SOPs), like hand washing facilities, thermometer guns, sanitizers etc. However, students failed to implement social distancing and wearing masks.
Rashid Aluma from Makerere University explains that he has been hearing that students will be implanting all the SOPs but he found a different situation. He adds that where he passed no one told him to put on a mask.
Kyambogo University is expecting 11,943 finalists and Makerere University expects over 10,000 finalists to come back for their studies. The lectures will be for a period of four weeks and two weeks for examinations.
