Prime
Start teaching today, ministry tasks schools
State Minister for Primary Education, Ms Joyce Kaducu.
What you need to know:
- Unlike in the past when schools increased school fees, schools did not raise school fees this term. However, some parents have been seen struggling to raise dues for their children because the reopening of schools was scheduled at the middle of the month.
The Education ministry has ordered teachers and heads of schools to ensure teaching immediately resumes in the final term of the 2023 academic year.
The learners, who went back home for the second term break last month, are expected to report to schools today across the country.
The State Minister for Primary Education, Ms Joyce Kaducu, told this publication in an interview that this is the shortest term of the 2023 academic year, hence there shouldn’t be any time to waste.
According to her, heads of institutions of learning should ensure all teachers are at schools and resume teaching with immediate effect.
“Previously, some teachers reported to school after one week, however, this term is very short, hence students are expected to be in the classroom today,” Ms Kaducu cautioned.
Those in the candidate classes, including Primary Seven, Senior Four, and Senior Six are expected to sit for their end-of-cycle exams starting next month, with the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE).
According to the Uganda National Examination Board (Uneb), Senior Four candidates will sit for the first set of the examinations (UCE) on October 16. These will be followed by Primary Seven and Senior Six, who will sit for their exams in November, respectively.
Uneb boss Daniel Odongo last week released the timetables for the forthcoming examinations and asked schools to prepare their candidates adequately.
Candidates
This means candidates’ classes have only one month to prepare for the Uganda National Examination Board exams, while other learners have about two and a half months to sit for promotional examinations.
While there is a policy from the line ministry that necessitates all learners to be automatically promoted, most schools tend to make some learners repeat classes when they fail to perform well.
“To the learners, this is the determining term for your progress to the next level. There is need to work hard, especially for candidates. They have one month to start their exams,” Ms Kaducu said.
Unlike in the past when schools increased school fees, schools did not raise school fees this term. However, some parents have been seen struggling to raise dues for their children because the reopening of schools was scheduled at the middle of the month.
Initially, schools tended to reopen towards the end of the month or at the beginning of the month.
However, this did not prevent schools from reopening. Most parents took their learners to schools yesterday, especially those in the boarding section.
