Earlier this month, Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports made the long-awaited announcement regarding the opening of schools to complete the 2020 academic year. Unable to support virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the past 11 months have been paused as far as children’s advancement in school. The government and many other entities (including PCAU) have worked to get learning materials to children throughout the country to help keep their brains active and learning!
In Oct. 2020, candidate classes (P.7, S.4 and S.6) and college finalists returned to school. P.7 students will take their national exams on March 31 to complete their 2020 academic year, and S.4 and S.6 students will take exams on April 6.
Educational institutions will continue with a staggered reopening beginning in March. The goal is to minimize crowding in classrooms. Physical distancing, along with other government guidelines put in place, are intended to ensure the safety of both students and teachers during the pandemic.
Below is the staggered attendance plan to reduce crowding in schools:
- Pre-candidate classes (P.6, S.3, and S.5) will return from March 1 – May 21
- P.4 and P.5 will return from April 6 – June 4 (after the P.7 exams)
- P.1, P.2 and P.3 will return from June 7 – July 24
- S.1 will return from April 12 – July 3
- S.2 will return from May 31 – July 24 (after S.3 and S.5 classes break)
Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, universities and other tertiary institutions will resume March 1st. Face-to-face sessions will be conducted in shifts with priority given to courses that require practical hands-on and laboratory work.
The 2020 academic year will officially end in July 2021. Student progression to the next class will be based on attendance and continuous assessment of class work and assignments. After the close of the 2020 academic year, and with continued consideration of the management of COVID-19, a comprehensive school calendar for the 2021 academic year, as well as a strategy for recovery of lost time, will be issued.
For the latest information on Uganda Ministry of Health COVID-19 updates click here.