Uganda has today ended the world’s longest school closure by ordering millions of students back to school nearly 2 years since the government suspended learning following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
According to the Uganda’s Ministry of Education, schools would be reopened in phases to control traffic congestion in the capital Kampala with effect from Monday 10, January, 2022.
The State Minister for Higher Education John Muyingo said all students had automatically been promoted to the next class without any examinations.
“All schools have implemented guidelines and standard operating procedures to ensure the safe return of children to schools, and measures have been put in place to ensure those who don’t comply do so,” he told AFP.
Under the revised education calendar, the first term runs from January 10 to April 15, followed by a three-week holiday. Then students will begin their second term from May 9 to August 19, while the third term shall start on September 5 and end on December 9.
Learners will then proceed to a seven-week Christmas break until January 29, 2023 where a new academic year will begin.