Makerere University has released its 2020/2021 Academic calendar indicating that the institution will open up fully to all students in February 2021, giving hint that all education institutions are likely to resume full operation following closure in March 2020.
The University’s Academic year will kick off with Fresher’s (First Year) students Orientations on Saturday 30th January and the exercise will last seven days to Friday 5th February 2021.
Although, it is unknown how the selection process will be conducted for Advanced Level students who returned back to schools this week, ahead of their National Examinations.
Next on the University will be the resumption of Semester One on Saturday 6th February 2021 to Saturday 8th May 2021, that will last for 13 weeks, followed by Semester One Holiday Break to run through Saturday 8th May 2021 to Saturday 15th May 2021 one week.
Thereafter, Semester Two will resume on Saturday 15th May 2021 to Saturday 14th August 2021, also lasting 13 weeks. The development means, the study period is short by four weeks compared to the 17weeks the University had projected in their 2019/2020 academic calendar.
Makerere University also has planned for the recess Term that will run between Saturday 14th August 2021 to Saturday 11th September 2021, lasting 4 weeks and later conclude its academic calendar with the 71st Graduation Week from Tuesday16th March 2021 to Friday 19th March 2021.
However, unlike the previous academic calenders where the University clarified on deadlines for students clearing their fees, this hasn’t been the case.
In the previous academic year, the Fees Policy provided 30th August 2019 as Deadline of payment of at least Shs 200,000 payment by all continuing students beyond which a surcharge of She 20,000 levied if that deadline wasn’t met on time.
Further on 18th October 2019 end of 10th week, Deadline of free enrolment beyond which Shs 50,000 will be leviedand 1st November 2019 end of 12th week would have been deadline for fees payment beyond which a surcharge of 5% on the outstanding balance will be levied.
In March 2020, President Yoweri Museveni ordered for the closure of all institution of learning to contain the spread of Covid in Uganda.
Government later implemented the partial opening of education facilities, first by allowing final year students. However, no official communication has been made on full opening of education facilities.
The development comes at the time the Ministry of Health latest results of COVID-19 tests done from 13th to 18th January 2021 confirm 449 new cases, bringing Uganda’s cumulative confirmed cases to 38,534. During this period, Uganda registered One COVID-19 death, bringing total reported deaths to 305.
