Education and sports Minister, Janet Kataha Museveni has announced that schools countrywide will reopen on 27 this month.
The minister who is also the First Lady said on Saturday evening that her ministry has directed all educational establishments not to levy any extra fees during the current term and semester once schools resume normal educational programmes.
President Yoweri Museveni closed educational establishments including schools and tertiary institutions on March 18, 2020 to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for 32 days.
The 30 days of closure will end on April 20, 2020.
The First Lady continued that government will at the right time inform the public when schools will be reopened. However, she hastened to add that it will most likely be April 27, 2020.
“Our planning is that if everything goes according to plan, God willing, pre-primary, primary, secondary schools and Primary Teachers Colleges will reopen for continuation of Term One on the 27th of April and 21st of June 2020.”
“Term Two will start on 22nd June to 4th September and term three will start on 21st September to 19 December, 2020. Universities and other tertiary institutions including BTVET (Business, Technical and Vocational Education Training) will open for continuation of the current semester on 2nd May, 2020.” Ms Janet said in a televised address.
Ms Janet revealed that the ministry is working together with local governments through District Education Officers and District Inspectors of Schools, primary and secondary school head teachers to identify model teachers to prepare for remedial learning that will be delivered on radio and television stations in the entire country.
Once schools reopen, this will be a continuation of first term and there will be extra charges on fees.
The minister said that first and second terms will be shorter with no any tests or examinations conducted for term one. All the time shall be used for learning.
She added that cumulative end of topic results should be used for end of term reports with candidates doing only one school generated mock examinations at the end of the second term.
Ms Janet banned all schools from engaging students in any externally set mock examinations to ascertain that the syllabus is covered on time.
For universities that have coerced students to pay and do online examinations during this time of closure, the minister said some students do not have the facilities and money.
“We have, therefore, decided that all these examinations be suspended until we are out of this crisis,” she said.
