Universities adjust semester to break off for census

Universities have started adjusting the semester to comply with the Ministry of Education's directive to break off for the upcoming census exercise.

The Education Ministry in a November 8, 2023 letter ordered all schools and higher institutions to break off for the national population headcount scheduled to take place from May 9 for 10 days.

The ministry's director for higher, technical, vocational education and training, Dr Jane Egau Okou, directed all school heads and Vice Chancellors to release all learners to participate in the census.

He said that the Ubos-led exercise will generate information which will be utilized for the provision of real-time statistics for the planning and implementation of government policies.

The census comes at a time when most students in universities will be sitting for the end-of-semester examinations.

“In compliance with the directive, the chairperson, on behalf of the University Senate has approved the decision to adjust the Semester and Examination Calendar. The Semester II examinations, therefore, will start on Tuesday, May 21 and end on June 11, 2024," Prof Buyinza Mukadasi, the Makerere University academic registrar, said in an April 4 letter tasking all academic units to adjust their teaching and examination timetables accordingly.

Prof Mukadasi ruled out the possibility of this development affecting the next academic year.

Prof Eli Katunguka, the Kyambogo University Vice Chancellor, when contacted to know if they will follow suit and adjust the semester, said a decision hadn't been taken yet.

"We are going for a Senate meeting on April 12 and a decision will be taken then," he said.

The chairperson of Makerere University Academic Staff Association (Muasa), Mr Robert Kakuru, said this adjustment will certainly affect the learning and teaching schedules but urged staff members to adjust accordingly.

"Yes, certainly the adjusted calendar will affect teaching and learning. It's important that all staff adjust accordingly to ensure that teaching and learning will not be severely undermined," he said.

Mr Lubega Nsamba, the guild president of Makerere University said this adjustment will have a lot of impact on the students' fraternity both negatively and positively.

"Private students who were still looking for tuition will benefit from this adjustment, but the negative impact is in terms of students' accommodation most especially those who sleep in private hostels where rent is set for a particular period and exceeding it might invite surcharges," he said.

Mr Isaac Ofwono, a student of Social Sciences at Makerere University expressed his discomfort saying the extension of the end-of-semester examinations will disrupt preparations.

"When you prepare your mind and say you're going to do examinations at this time and again then extend them, you relax a bit and may not prepare well thinking you still have time," he argued.

This semester started on January 13 and exams were supposed to start on April 29 up to May 12 and recess was supposed to start from May 12 to July 20.