SCHOOL REOPENING: Janet Museveni’s Education Ministry Speaks on Reports of Dead Academic Year

Education and Sports Ministry Spokesperson Dr Dennis Mugimba has opened up on claims that government was planning to declare 2021 a dead year after the second wave of Covid19 disrupted phased reopening, and made learners lose months of learning time.

President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni is expected to address the nation on Covid19 related issues, including school reopening.

On September 22 morning, hours before the president’s address Mugimba revealed that first lady Janet Museveni’s education and sports ministry was not planning on a dead 2021 academic year.

He said all learners will move to the next class, with promotions made after months of a catchup program.

“Every learner will move to the next class. We are not planning on a dead year. The P1s will move to P2, the P2s will move to P3. Children of 6 years will join P1,” Dr Mugimba told NBS Morning Breeze.

“We shall not have a dead year. We have not planned for a dead year.”

Mugimba also noted that classes which were yet to report since the first lockdown will be allowed to go back to school when Museveni okays reopening.

He also revealed that the presidential directives will lead to the revision of the ministry’s roadmap on re-opening.

“Our priority is to have the classes that haven’t reopened since March 2020 report to school first,” he said.

“We had planned to open in October. Depending on the President’s address tonight, we shall tweak the roadmap and roll it out.”