All Kigali-based schools reopen for in-person classes Tuesday, February 23, more than a month after they closed in the wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases.

The reopening of Kigali schools happens at a time when several businesses and activities have also been allowed to resume, albeit partially, including restaurants, places of worship, non-contact outdoor sports, among others.

Some of the schoolchildren, notably those in nursery and lower primary schools, are returning to school for the first time in nearly a year thanks to the pandemic. Obviously, the virus has severely disrupted education globally potentially with far-reaching consequences, some of which will start to be clearer in the next few weeks. For instance, there are lingering fears that some young scholars might not warm up to the idea of returning to school, which could result in many dropouts.

As such, there is a need for close collaboration between schools and other stakeholders such as parents and local authorities to ensure that all children who should be in school are actually in school.

This will help avoid a situation where the dropout rate will shoot up again, eroding gains made in recent years. According to official statistics, school dropout in primary schools stands at 7.8 per cent, while it’s slightly higher, at 8.2 per cent, in secondary schools.

The government seeks to end dropout in primary education and significantly reduce it in secondary education, to 1 per cent, by 2024. While these are pre-Covid statistics and ambitions, it is vitally important that no effort must be spared in working towards these targets despite the pandemic.

Now, while Kigali-based schools have been allowed to reopen, it must be noted that the virus is still around. And, therefore, schools are expected to make every effort to ensure that schoolchildren learn in a safe environment. Yes, it is difficult to ensure that all preventive measures are adhered to when day-scholars go back home but schools must do everything possible to ensure compliance with national Covid-19 protocols to prevent them from being super spreader sites. From putting in place proper hand-washing stations to ensuring appropriate masking and social distancing on campus, schools are key stakeholders in this fight.

Schools should help increase awareness about Covid-19 prevention measures among learners.

The reality is that there is no shortcut out of this pandemic, neither is there a shortcut to a safe return to physical education.

Yet schools – and authorities – cannot achieve this on their own. It requires everyone to respect the health guidelines and to cooperate as far as ensuring the safety of schoolchildren – and the community at large – is concerned.

While we patiently wait for more vaccines, we must all do our best to steer away from behaviour that could further complicate students’ learning. Schoolchildren have already lost a lot and we must all conduct ourselves in a manner that will keep the youngsters and everyone else safe and keep our schools open.