According to the tentative calendar that New Vision has seen, the education ministry has dropped the phased reopening of schools.

Instead, all children are likely to report to school within the first week of January next year.

The phased reopening plan had been proposed to manage the multiple cohorts of classes as well as ensuring that COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) are observed in schools.

However, education ministry sources who spoke on anonymity grounds, have indicated that schools are expected to reopen on January 3, 2022.

The sources indicate that the ministry has also adopted normal school terms of 86 days, but with special considerations for current semi-candidates, who will eventually become candidates within the same year.

These are proposed to write their examinations starting May next year.

The ministry is also expected to adopt the automatic promotion for all children and that all children who will have turned six years as of January next year, will join Primary One.

“Yes, the ministry has concluded its plans on reopening. The tentative date is January 3, 2022. That is what the tentative calendar reads,” the source said.

“As communicated by the President recently, the ministry has also made provisions to reopen fully, come January next year.”

While addressing the nation over the weekend, President Yoweri Museveni reaffirmed his earlier position that the economy will be fully opened in January next year, whether people are vaccinated or not.

This will include schools. He, however, noted that the country has so far received 15.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Another source had indicated that the proposed calendar was to be revealed by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs Janet Museveni.

The First Lady was due to meet MPs Wednesday, November 24, on issues surrounding the reopening of schools, but the meeting has been postponed.

However, when contacted, Dr Dennis Mugimba, the education ministry spokesperson, declined to comment, saying the public should wait for the announcement from the First Lady.

TVET admissions start

Tuesday, November 23, Mugimba addressed journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on the scheduled enrolment of students into technical institutions.

Admission and enrolment of students to join Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) will be conducted between December 2 and 10.

These will be enrolling for national diploma, national certificate and Uganda community polytechnic certificate programmes at TVET institutions.

Loy Muhwezi, the commissioner for TVET operations and management, said all applicants wishing to pursue national diploma programmes will be subjected to physical interviews.

The interviews will be conducted on December 2, 3 and 6.

“They are advised to return their completed application forms with their original documents in person, to the nearest regional selection centre. Those who applied through the Joint Admissions Board (JAB), may also reapply,” she said.

The regional selection centres, include Ntinda Vocational Training Institute in Kampala for central region and St Kizito Technical Institute Madera in Soroti for eastern.

The Uganda Technical Colleges (UTCs) of Lira and Kichwamba will serve as regional centres for the northern and western regions, respectively. Southwestern Uganda will be served by Nyamitanga Technical Institute in Mbarara city.

Hurdles ahead

It is a year and eight months since schools were closed on March 18, last year, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Much as some schools, including the 2020 candidates and semi-candidates, managed to return to school in a phased manner, certain classes, such as P1 to P3, have not been in school since then.

The August Technical Note by the National Planning Authority (NPA) report, projected that P1 alone will have about 7.4 million children.

According to the NPA report, last year’s P1 cohort is estimated at 2.4 million children while that of this year is estimated at 2.5million.

Next year’s cohort is likely to add another 2.5 million children at P1, bringing the total to 7.4 million learners in P1 alone.

This implies the numbers of teachers at this level must triple to cater for the growing numbers.

According to the 2017 Annual School Census report, the average teacher to pupil ratio at primary school in Uganda was 1:43.

With surging numbers and the different cohorts, it means that a teacher will now take care of 126 learners.