SCHOOL REOPENING: Students to Study on Saturdays, Holidays Shortened

Learners will have shorter holidays and will also attend classes on Saturdays, Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports has proposed to the Covid19 National Taskforce charged with making a final decision on school reopening.

On Tuesday, First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni’s Ministry of Education and Sports presented proposals on school reopening to the National Covid19 Taskforce during a meeting attended by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Museveni directed Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to meet with officials from the ministries of health and education and propose reopening dates and more modalities on resumption of learning and teaching.

According to education ministry spokesperson Dr Dennis Mugimba, one other issue the Nabbanja meeting will decide on is the manner of reopening.

“[The other proposal is] that when we reopen, we shall do so in a staggered manner. The first one is phased, the second is staggered,” said Mugimba.

Mugimba also revealed the ministry had proposed shorter holidays and the extension of the learning and teaching week.

“Here is the catch: part of our proposal is that we should have an extended school week that may also include a Saturday in order to catch up with time that has been lost,” noted Mugimba.

“[The ministry also proposed] a shorter school calendar for holidays; instead of the three or four weeks, we have one or two weeks, because we have to maximize the time when things are good, when the infections and community transmission rates are low, we catch up as much as we can.”