Janet Museveni speaks on ‘automatic promotion’ for non-candidates

First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni has explained what will be next for non-candidates as education institutions reopen their gates to candidates and finalists next month.

On September 20, President Yoweri Museveni allowed schools to reopen after more than six months of closure of education institutions as a way of preventing the spread of Covid19.

The closure of schools happened on March 20 – when the first term was midway.

Museveni allowed an estimated 1.2 million learners who are in candidate classes and their final years at various education institutions.

When schools reopen their gates to learners on October 15, the Ministry will count what would normally be third term as second term.

Already, the Ministry of Education and Sports Permanent Secretary Alex Kakooza has confirmed new dates for second and third term for primary, secondary and technical schools as well as community polytechnics.

Students will report for second term on Thursday, October 15, 2020 and the same will end on Friday December 18, 2020.

Learners will then break off for a holiday starting Saturday December 19, 2020 to Sunday, January 10, 2021.

Third term will start Monday, January 11, 2021 and end on Friday, April 30, 2021.

The rest of the country’s 15 million learners are expected to return to school next year.

However, even when a revised school calendar was issued, some questions remained.

One of these was what would happen to non-candidates.

But Ms Museveni, the Minister of Education and Sports, has revealed that there will be automatic promotion.

“We are continuing with learning at home for S.1 to S.5 when S.6 moves on then S.5 will move to S.6 and when S.4 moves away S.1 and others all move on automatically,” she said.

Janet made it clear that there would be no dead academic year.

“We considered declaring a dead year but realized, even next year Covid19 may still be here, therefore, we decided to at least let the candidate classes go back late but prepare to finish. I request that you partner with us.”