2013 school calendar out, holiday extended
School children attend a show during their holiday recently. Schools will spend more days at home after their holidays were pushed forward by an extra week. PHOTO BY Stephen Wandera
Kampala
The Ministry of Education has released the 2013 school calendar, pushing the reporting date for continuing pupils and students from the last week of January to February 4.
According to Mr John Agaba, the commissioner for Secondary Education, the reporting date was changed following complaints from salaried parents that the new school term was opening early before they receive their January salary, which they would need to buy basic school necessities for their children.
“You may recall that this school year started on January 30, 2012 before the end of January and head teachers said it was not properly timed as many parents hadn’t been paid their monthly salaries for January,” he said in a statement yesterday.
The first term
First term for primary teachers’ colleges will start on February 11, 2013 and end on May 3, 2013 while technical, vocational and farm institutes will open on February 4 and close on April 19.
“This calendar must be complied with by all education institutions whether government or private. No holiday teaching should take place in any institution,” he said.
Mr Agaba said orientation for Senior One and Senior Five in patriotism club activities will also be conducted in the first two weeks of Term One. He said the ministry had not considered the forthcoming national census in its 2013 programme, adding that it was not yet clear if the exercise would be conducted. “We have not provided for the national census next school year, although we have learnt from the press that it will be held in August 2013. No specific dates have been requested for.” he added.
This year, the ministry reduced second term by one week to allow students take part in the national census but unfortunately the exercise never took place. The census has overtime been faced by challenges of postponement. In 1990, the exercise was put off to 1991, and in 2001, it was pushed to 2002.
