The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education Alex Kakooza has issued final guidelines on opening of schools for all classes as announced by the Minister of Education and Sports on Friday 5 February 2021.
In the statement, the Minister guided that the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Sports will issue a detailed calendar indicating the dates when all other classes will report back to school.
Now, in a circular dated February 9th 2021, addressed to all school heads, Vice Chancellors, RDCs, District leaders among others, the Permanent Secretary Alex Kakooza says chools shall open with effect from 1st March.
According to the calendar, P6, S3 and S.5 will report back to school on 1st March 2021 and study for 14 weeks and break off on 2nd May 2021. P4 and P5 will report back on 1st April after PLE, which ends on 31th March 2021.
They will study tor 8 weeks and break off on 4th June 2071 to allow lower primary classes to report back and use the school facilities.
P1, P2, and P3 will report back on 7th June 2021 and study for 8 weeks, which will end on 24th July 2021. S1 will report back on 12th April 2021 and study for 14 weeks. ending on 3rd July. S2 will report back on 31st May 2021, after S3 and S5 classes break off and will study for 10 weeks, ending on 24th July 2021.
Students in Technical Vocational Education and training (TVET) institutions, Primary Teachers’ Colleges (PTCs) and National Teachers’ Colleges (NTCs) shall report back start on 1st March 2021 and to allow a shift system to ensure that the Covid- 19 SOPs are strictly observed.
Universities and Other Tertiary institutions shall reopen in a phased manner starting on 1st March 2021.
The face to face sessions should be conducted in shifts and should be prioritized for courses and course units that require practical hands-on and laboratory work.He warne
d that the dates indicated on the calendar may only be varied after obtaining written permission, on an individual basis, from the Permanent Secretary on recommendation of the Director Basic and Secondary Education or Director Higher, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Ministry of Education and Sports, as the case may be.
“Please note that academic scar 2020 for primary schools. secondary schools and post-primary education institutions will end in duly 2021. Thereafter, a comprehensive school calendar for 2021 academic year as well as a strategy for recovery of lost time, will be issued Progression to the next class will be based on attendance and continuous assessment of class work and assignments” Part of the letter reads.
Kakooza added that the Ministry of education and Sports and Ministry of Health will be issuing updated comprehensive guidelines on effective management of the Covid-19 in education institutions, including a pandemic surveillance system in the schools.
Schools were closed on 18th March 2021, in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Government has been on pressure from parents and other stakeholders to re-open the institutions.
