Kampala, Uganda | URN | The Ministry of Education and Sports has clarified on the half-term that was provided to schools that are going to be used as exam marking centres for the 2020 National examinations.
A total of 40 schools, mainly located in Kampala, Wakiso, and Mukono districts were selected by the Uganda National Examinations Board-UNEB to host exam marking centres starting on April 26.
However, while breaking off for half term on Friday, some of the affected schools allegedly requested parents that when students return, it will be a fresh term. This means that parents would be paying school fees and other requirements.
Several schools which were not selected as marking centres had also planned to send their students back home so as to economically benefit from the set half term.
Now Alex Kakooza, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education has issued a circular indicating that the provided half-time is strictly to the exam marking centres and should not be seen as a normal holiday between two school terms.
“…the half term is a special break for some schools, coming in the course of one school term for a special purpose, the marking of national examinations,” his circular reads in part.
Kakooza also stresses that when the examination marking activities are done, students should return to their respective schools to complete their academic term as scheduled at no extra cost.
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“This implies that when learners return to school from half term break, parents who had completed school fees shall not be required to pay again. You should therefore not charge parents new school fees after the half-term break as if it’s a new term,” says Kakooza.
According to the revised calendar for schools hosting exam marking centres, all learners were expected to return home on April 23.
At the selected primary schools, pupils in P.4, P.5, and P.6 will return on May 11 and study up to June 14 when they will officially break off and wait for the new academic year.
Learners in S.1 will resume learning on May 31 while their counterparts in S.3 and S.5 will get back to school on June 8. The three classes will study up to July 24.
