With a countdown underway to the re-opening of schools and higher institutions of learning for candidates and final year students anticipated on September 20, the Education Ministry is drawing a revised schedule for the pending academic year.
Basing on the little time left to the end of the calendar year, the Education Ministry deems it impractical for learners to cover the remaining syllabus in less than 3 months therefore, revising the academic year to stretch into 2021.
The Education Ministry is considering adjusting the academic calender to re-open for second term which will end around mid-december and in late January or early February, the third term will kick-off. Candidates are then expected to write their final exams around March or April.
“When schools reopen, the co-curricular activities will be temporarily suspended so that teachers concentrate on reintegrating learners into the school system, carry out remedial work and ensure that the syllabus is covered. There will be no examinations at the end of the second term,” the Education Ministry hints.
All this is in aim to recover the lost time when schools were locked down to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.
School routines are also expected to change with school days running from 8 AM up to 1:30PM. For cases where schools have big numbers of candidates, shifts will be applied.
The Education Ministry still insists that feasibility will be carried out once candidates and finalists report, thereafter re-opening for other classes once everything is found “in check and fine”.
Meanwhile, a section of learners and parents have expressed worry on whether it is the right time to take learners back to school citing that they(parents) are financially constrained following the COVID-19 aftermath.
