Ministry of Education issues guidelines for final year students ahead of schools re-opening

The Education ministry has Thursday issued guidelines to be followed by Education Institutions as they reopen for second term.

According to the new guidelines, schools shall provide vans to transport both students and teachers. Children who walk to school are also not allowed to take public means under any circumstances.

In his speech on 20th September 2020, President Yoweri Museveni announced the reopening of education institutions for candidate classes (P7, S4 and S6) and final year students in tertiary institutions. These were closed with effect from 20th March 2020 as part of the measures to control the spread of Covid- 19 pandemic.

Alex Kakooza the Permanent Secretary Ministry of education in his statement noted that the reopening of education institutions does not imply that the danger posed by the pandemic has passed.

He added that over the past five months, Ministry of Education and Sports has been working closely with Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to prepare for safe reopening of education institutions under Covid- 19.

The guidelines issued today, provide actionable guidance for safe reopening and running of education institutions through effective implementation of the SOPs.

He called upon management of all education institutions to internalize the guidelines and use them to make expeditious preparations for safe reopening and o rations of schools and institutions.

Guidelines

Parents are advised that under this emergency public health situation, they should, as much as possible, identify schools nearest their home to enroll their children for the meantime to avoid risks, unnecessary costs and inconveniences of long distance travel to schools.

Schools in urban centres, where many learners need to use public means, are advised to register all learners and their modes of transport to and from school.

Learners who walk to school or are transported by private means to schools may continue to do so; however, they may not use public transport on any occasion, even when they cannot walk or be privately transported to and from school by their parents/guardians.

Schools shall ensure that the private means vehicles and drivers are registered with the school and are the only ones allowed to transport the learners.

The schools, working with urban authorities, shall organize dedicated vans/buses on designated routes to transport learners, including learners with special needs, who cannot walk or be transported privately to school. Such transport should be within a radius of 5kms and shall observe the standard operating procedures for public transport as issued by H.E. the President.

Teachers who are not accommodated at school and do not use private transport shall use the dedicated school buses/vans on designated routes as indicated above. Learners and teachers shall not be allowed to move to and from school on general public transport, including taxis, vans and buses.

New calendar

According to the new calendar, second term for Primary, Secondary, Technical/Farm schools and Community Polytechnics will begin on Monday 15^th October and end on Friday 18^th December 2020. Third term will then begin on Monday 11^th January and end on Friday 30^th April 2021.

Registration for PLE, UCE and UACE final examinations will take place between 22^nd October to 20^th November 2020. Briefing for UCE candidates will take place on 26^th February 2021, while the examinations will begin on 1^st March 2021 and end on 6^th April 2021.

Briefing for PLE candidates will take place on 26^th March 2021, while examinations will take place on 30^th and 31^st March 2021. Briefing for UACE will then take place on 9^th April 2021 and examinations will begin on 12^th April and end on 3^rd May 2021.

Kakooza warned that the calendar must be complied with by all education institutions whether private or government.

“The dates indicated in this 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 Higher, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Ministry of Education and Sports, as the case maybe” Kakooza warned.