EDUCATION: P6, S3 and 5 to have Special Term June 7-July 24

Ministry of Education tells semi-candidates that ‘you are not yet candidates’

📌 UGANDA 🇺🇬 NEW BACK TO SCHOOL SCHEDULE

▶ P1, P2 & P3 – June 7
▶ P6, S3 & S5 – June 7

📌 3-year plan to harmonize school calendar

✳ Terms 12 weeks
✳ Holidays 15-17 days
✳ No exams
✳ 2021 starts August 9
✳ 2022 starts May 16
✳ 2023 starts April 10
✳ 2024 starts February

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | All the Primary 6, Senior 3 and Senior 5s who returned home this weekend thinking they are now candidates, will be disappointed to learn they have one more term to go.

There will now be a Special Term for P.6, S.3 and S.5 classes under the revised school calendar for Academic Year 2020 from June 7, when the P1, P2, and P3s return as well, to July 24, 2021.

“As part of the strategy for recovery of lost learning time, the Ministry included a special term of eight weeks for semi-candidate classes; that is P6, S3 and S5, since they had less time compared to the to the other classes to recover the lost learning time in the respective education cycles,” said Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Alex Kakooza in a circular dated May 19th.

NOTICE: No learner shall be promoted to the next class before 9th August 2021; the start of Academic Year 2021.#EducUG https://t.co/CYHK94EEnR

— Alex Kakooza (@AlexKakooza_) May 22, 2021

Kakooza added that, “P6, S3 and S5 reported on March 1 and will break off on May 21. However as explained above, they will report back on June 7 for a special term that runs up to July 24, when they will complete the academic year 2020 and be promoted to the next respective class for the academic year 2021, which starts on August 9.”

PS Kakooza urged schools to charge reasonable fees for the short term.

“School administrators are once again urged to work with the parents on flexible fees payments given the short notice and the financial constraints many families are going through. School administrators are reminded that the special is a fraction of the normal school term therefore the fees to be charged for the special term should reflect this fact.”

Kakooza stressed their should be no promotions until after the term ends for all in July.  “No learner shall be promoted to the next class before 9th August 2021; the start of Academic Year 2021,” he said.

The original plan was for Primary 1, 2 and 3 pupils to be the last to rejoin on June 7, after the  semi-candidates of P6 get their holidays. The pupils of P4 and P5 will also have completed, so the schools were supposed be occupied by only Primary 1, 2 and 3s from June 7.

The schedule released in February by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Sports Kakooza, will still ensure the academic calendar 2020-21 ends in July.

“The dates indicated on this calendar may only be varied after obtaining written permission, on an individual basis,” PS Kakooza said.

“Please note that academic year 2020 for primary schools, secondary schools and post primary education institutions will end in July 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.”

Semi-candidates were first back to school

First to report back when school resumed, were Primary 6, Senior 3 and 5  on March 1, 2021. They were supposed to study for 14 weeks only  and break off on May 21, 2021.

Primary 4 and 5 on their part study for eight weeks and break off on June 4, to allow lower primary classes to report back and use the school facilities.

Primary 1, 2 and 3 who report back on June 7, 2021 study for eight weeks, which will end on July 24th.

Senior 2s report back May 31, after S3 and S5 classes break off and will study for 10 weeks, ending July 24.