Ministry clarifies on special term for semi-candidates

May 23, 2021

Kakooza said semi-candidates will report back to school on June 7 for a special term that runs up to June 24, when they will complete their academic year 2020 and be promoted to the next respective class for academic year 2021, which begins on August 9.

Ministry clarifies on special term for semi-candidates

NewVision Reporter
Journalist @NewVision

The education ministry has said the special term of eight weeks was for only semi-candidate classes.

The ministry’s permanent secretary, Alex Kakooza, in a clarification dated May 19, noted that semi-candidate classes were accorded a special term because they had less time to recover the lost learning time compared to other classes in the respective education cycles.

“It has come to the ministry’s attention, however, that some schools may not have fully understood the application for the special term and are wrongly communicating to parents that the special term is for all classes,” Kakooza observed.
The clarification was addressed to headteachers of primary and secondary schools, learners and their parents countrywide.

 

RE-OPENING
On December 14 last year, the ministry issued a revised school calendar for re-opening of education institutions after President Yoweri Museveni eased the COVID-19 lockdown.

However, the calendar provided for phased re-opening of classes to ensure that standard operating procedures (SOPs) are observed. Education institutions had been closed since March 18, 2020.

Kakooza said the academic year 2021 for all classes will start on August 9.
He said Primary One, two and three learners will report on June 7 and complete the 2020 academic year on July 24. 
They will then be promoted to the next respective class for the academic year 2021, which starts on August 9.

Kakooza said Primary Four and five learners, who reported to school on April 6, will complete the 2020 academic year on June 4, when they will be promoted to the next respective class. He said they will also start the next academic year (2021) on August 9.
“Senior One learners reported on April 12 and will complete the academic year 2020 on July 2, when they will be promoted to S2 for the academic year 2021, which starts on August 9,” the permanent secretary observed.

For Senior Two learners, Kakooza said they reported on May 13 and that they will complete the 2020 academic year on July 24, when they will be promoted to Senior Three. 

They will also report for the new academic year on August 9.
He said semi-candidates (P6, S3 and S5), who reported on March 1, were supposed to break off yesterday (May 21).

 

However, Kakooza said semi-candidates will report back to school on June 7 for a special term that runs up to June 24, when they will complete their academic year 2020 and be promoted to the next respective class for academic year 2021, which begins on August 9.

He advised schools with Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) marking centres to follow the guidelines sent to them by the ministry in an earlier circular.

 

FEES AND RE-OPENING
The permanent secretary, Alex Kakooza, said no learner shall be promoted to the next class before August 9, the start of the 2021 academic year.

“School administrators are reminded that the special term for P6, S3 and S5 is a fraction of the normal school term, which normally runs for about 13 weeks. Therefore, the fees to be charged for the special term should reflect this fact,” he said.

 

S2 REPORTING DATE PUSHED FORWARD
On May 6, the ministry revised the reporting date for Senior Two students, pushing it forward by about two weeks.

The S2 learners, who were supposed to report on May 31 as had been planned in the school calendar, were asked to report on May 13. The announcement of the changes was contained in a letter by Kakooza.

The letter was addressed to all secondary school headteachers, resident district commissioners, chief administrative officers, town clerks, district and municipal education officers, as well as inspectors of schools.
“The initial school re-opening dates for Senior Two learners was May 31. 

However, following the completion of the Uganda Certificate of Education and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education examinations by S4 and S6 learners respectively, more space has been created in schools to accommodate an extra class while observing the COVID-19 SOPs,” he said.

He explained that after consulting with stakeholders, the ministry decided to bring forward the reporting date for S2 students by about two weeks, considering the urgent need to recover the lost learning time and the negative impact of long absence from school on the young adolescents.

However, Kakooza said the reporting date of May 13 does not apply to S2 learners in schools that are currently being used by UNEB as marking centres.

Students from such schools will report later on June 8, noted the permanent secretary. 
The clarification was copied to all education ministers and MPs, among other stakeholders.

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