KAMPALA – The ministry of education and sports has released the schools’ and other institutions’ calendar – 2020 that will run for 38 weeks.
In a circular to all primary, secondary, technical schools and community polytechnics heads and other and All Headteachers: Government & Private Secondary, Primary Schools and Community Polytechnics, the Permanent Secretary Alex Kakooza scheduled the first term to start on Monday, February 3, 2020, and run through to May 1, 2020.
The first term for primary, secondary, technical/farm schools and community polytechnics will run for 89 days.
Second-term will begin from May 25 to August 21. The second term will also run for 89 days.
The Third term that is scheduled to run for 82 days will start from September 14 to November 27.
Learners will then have a three-week holiday before opening for each term.
The ministry says that school holidays and term dates are followed by primary and secondary schools as well as colleges across the country.
Primary, secondary, technical/farm schools and community polytechnics
| Term | From | To | No of Days | |
| Term | I | Monday 3rd February 2020 | Friday 1st May, 2020 | 89 days |
| Term | II | Monday 25th May 2020 | Friday 21st August, 2020 | 89 days |
| Term III | Monday 14th September, 2020 | Friday 27th November, 2020 | 82 days | |
| TOTAL | 260 days | |||
Tough guild lines
According to the circular by the ministry, classes must start at 8:00 am and end not later than 5:00 PM every day and that districts/City Inspectors of Schools should ensure that schools comply.
The Ministry has also cautioned schools on wastage and loss of teaching and learning time at the beginning and end of the term.
“Lessons should start promptly and terms should not be cut short without clearance from my office,” the Permanent Secretary warned school heads adding that boarding schools should designate only one day a term as a visiting day.
The ministry warned school heads of Boarding Secondary Schools especially those in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono districts that they should ensure that they stagger the starting dates a week earlier than the official opening dates and also stagger the days for the end of the term.
“This is aimed at eliminating the inconveniences caused every beginning and end of the term to parents and schools,” the PS wrote.
For Primary Teachers Colleges, Mr. Kakooza scheduled their first term to start from February 2 to May 1.
Learners will then have a three week holiday before the second term starts on May 27.
The third term according to the circular will begin on September 15 to December 5.
Holidays
| Term | From | To | No of Days |
| 1st Term holidays | Saturday 2nd May, 2020 | Sun 24th May, 2020 | 23 days |
| 2nd Term holidays | Saturday 22nd August, 2020 | Sun 13th September 2020 | 23 days |
| 3rd Term holidays | Saturday 28th November 2020 | Sun 31st January, 2021 | 58 days |
| Total | 104 days | ||
Primary Teachers’ Colleges
| Term | From | To | No of Days | |
| Term | I | Monday 3rd February, 2020 | Friday 1st May, 2020 | 89 days |
| Term | II | Monday 25th May, 2020 | Friday 21st August, 2020 | 89 days |
| Term III | Monday 14th September, 2020 | Friday 27th November, 2020 | 82 days | |
| TOTAL | 260 days | |||
N.B.
Final School Practice for six weeks: – In-service: Sunday
Pre-service: Sunday
Promotion Examinations:
Final Written Examinations:
Technical and vocational and farm institutes:
| Term | From | To | No of Days | |
| Term | I | Monday 3rd February, 2020 | Friday 1st May, 2020 | 89 days |
| Term | II | Monday 25th May, 2020 | Friday 21st August, 2020 | 89 days |
| Term III | Monday 14th September, 2020 | Friday 27th November, 2020 | 82 days | |
| TOTAL | 260 days | |||
N.B.
End of Term III/Year UBTEB Examinations Calendar shall be followed.
Uganda Technical Colleges:
| Term | From | To | No of |
| Weeks | |||
| Semester I | 17th August 2020 | 18th December 2020 | 17 Weeks |
| Semester II | 15th February 2021 | 4th June 2021 | 17 weeks |
| UBTEB May/ June Examinations 2020 | 15th May 2020 | 29th May 2020 | |
| UBTEB Nov/Dec Examinations 2020 | 4th December 2020 | 18th December 2020 | |
| Industrial Training | December 2020 | January 2021 | |
| Total | |||
| 3 |
Nursing training schools:
| Term | From | To | No of days | ||
| Semester I | 13th July 2020 | 11th December 2020 | 17 Weeks | ||
| Semester II | 22nd February 2021 | 28th June 2021 | 17 Weeks | ||
| UNMEB Examinations | 4th December 2020 | 18th December 2020 | |||
| Industrial Training | |||||
| Paramedical Institutions | |||||
| Semester I | 20th July 2020 | 11th December 2020 | 17 Weeks | ||
| Semester II | 15th February 2021 | 4th June 2021 | 17 Weeks | ||
Uganda Colleges of Commerce:
| Semester | From | To | No. of |
| Weeks | |||
| 1st Semester | 24th August 2020 | 18th December 2020 | 17 Weeks |
| 2nd Semester | 22nd February 2021 | 11th June 2021 | 17 Weeks |
| UBTEB May/June Examinations 2020 | 15th May 2020 | 29th May 2020 | |
| UBTEB Nov/Dec Examinations 2020 | 4th December 2020 | 18th December 2020 |
Survey institute, meteorological institute, schools of clinical officers, school of hygiene Mbale, paramedical schools and Butabika school of psychiatry, agricultural colleges, wildlife institute, fisheries institute, and cooperative colleges
| Semester | From | To | No. of | ||
| Weeks | |||||
| 1st Semester | 24th August 2020 | 11th December 2020 | 17 Weeks | ||
| Industrial training | June 2020 | August 2020 | |||
| 2nd Semester | 24th February 2021 | 11th June 2021 | 17 Weeks |
UBTEB Examinations’: Technical colleges, Colleges of Commerce, Agricultural Colleges, Survey Institutes, Meteorological Institutes, Wild Life Institutes, Fisheries Institutes and Cooperative Colleges End of Year Semester Examinations’. UBTEB Examinations’ calendar shall be followed.
Health Tutors’ College, Mulago
| Term | From | To | No. of weeks |
| 1st Semester | 17th August 2020 | 11th December 2020 | 17 Weeks |
| 2nd Semester | 25th January 2021 | 27th May 2021 | 17 weeks |
| Recess | 29th June 2020 | 24th July 2020 | 25 days |
| Short Break | 27th July 2020 | 14th August 2020 | 18 Days |
| 1st Semester Academic Yr 19/20 |
National Teachers’ Colleges and Community Polytechnics Instructors’ Colleges
- Diploma in Education Secondary
| Term | Opening of Term | Closing of Term | No. of Days |
| Term I | 23rd September 2019 | 13th December 2019 | 82 Days |
| Term II | 3rd February 2020 | 2nd May 2020 | 91Days |
| Term III | 25th May 2020 | 11th August 2020 | 77 Days |
| Total | Days | ||
Diploma in Education Primary
| Session | Opening of Term | Closing of Term | ||||||
| 1st Session | 4th May 2020 | 22nd May 2020 | ||||||
| 2nd Session | 23rd August 2020 | 11th September 2020 | ||||||
| 3rd Session | 1st December 2019 | 31st January 2020 | ||||||
| SESEMAT TRAINING FOR NTCs | ||||||||
| C. THEORY EXAMINATIONS FOR NATIONAL TEACHERS’ COLLEGES | ||||||||
| A | Diploma Secondary Education (DES) | 29th July 2020 | 10th August 2020 | |||||
| B | Diploma Primary Education (DEP) | 17th January 2020 | 31st January 2020 | |||||
N.B.
All DEP face-to-face sessions will strictly take place during the Primary Schools’ holidays as indicated above.
All participating teachers/tutors must report to their respective duty stations on the opening dates of the term.
School Practice for Diploma in Education Secondary Monday 26th May 2013 to 14th July 2013
School Practice for Diploma in Education Primary to be conducted during term time as this is an on-job Distance Education Programme.
Other activities
| ACTIVITIES | TENTATIVE DATES | ||
| a. | Placement of P7 and S4 | ||
| Placement of P7 leavers | January 2020 | ||
| Placement of S4 Leavers | January 2020 | ||
| b. | National Schools’ Science & Agriculture Fairs | ||
| Primary (This will double as the Education week) The | |||
| theme will be communicated during the course of 1st | |||
| term. | |||
| Secondary Schools | Term II 2020 | ||
| -Regional Science Fair | |||
| -National Science Fair | |||
| Tertiary Institutions | |||
| c. | World Teacher’s Day | 5th October 2020 | |
| National celebrations. Venue “to be decided ” | |||
| DEAR Day | 12th March 2020 | ||
| Primary Music Dance and Drama festival | 25th– 29th August 2020 | ||
| 3rd National Teachers’ Conference | 1st– 4th September 2020 | ||
| d. | Annual School Career Events | ||
| o | Secondary Schools | ||
| o | BTVET institutions | ||
| o | Primary Teachers’ Colleges | ||
| e. | National Book Week | ||
| f. | National Music, Dance and Drama Competitions | ||
Schools’ and other tertiary institutions’ games and sports calendar 2020
| Date | Activity | Organized by | Venue | ||||||
| March | |||||||||
| 29th -31st | National Intercollegiate Tertiary Institution | Intercollegiate | UCC Pakwach | – | |||||
| (NITI) Games | UTCs/UCCS/NTCs/ Tutors | Principals Sports | Pakwach / | ||||||
| Colleges/Other | Specialized Departments; | Association | UTC Kichwamba | ||||||
| Agriculture/Forestry/Fisheries/Meteorology | (IPSA) | – | |||||||
| (Athletics/ X – Country/Basketball/ Board | Kabarole | ||||||||
| Games | Football/ | Handball/ | |||||||
| Volleyball/Netball/ Wood ball/Rugby) | |||||||||
| 24th – 27th | All Institutions Goal Ball Competitions for | Uganda | Lugogo | – | |||||
| Students with Learning Needs – The blind | Paralympics | Kampala Uganda | |||||||
| (IUGC – SNE) | Committee | ||||||||
| (UPC) | |||||||||
| April | |||||||||
| 1st -7th | (NITI) Games continued | IPSA | UCC Pakwach | ||||||
| 24th -30th | National Technical Schools and Community | Vocational | Ruharo | ||||||
| Polytechnics Games (NTSCP) ( Athletics/ | Schools Sports | Vocational | |||||||
| Board | Games/ | Cross | Country/ | Association | Training | Institute | |||
| Football/Handball/Netball/Volleyball/Wood | (VSSA) | – Mbarara/ | |||||||
| ball and Demonstrations of Cricket) | Rweziringiriro | ||||||||
| TS-Isingiro/ | |||||||||
| Kakiika | TS- | ||||||||
| Mbarara | |||||||||
| May | |||||||||
| 1st – 5th | NTSCP Games Continued | VSSA | As above | ||||||
| 5th – 14th | National Secondary Schools Racket, Bat | USSSA | Sacred | Heart | – | ||||
| And Ball Games I (Badminton/Tennis/Table | Gulu | ||||||||
| Tennis/Basketball/Girls | Football/ Hockey/ | ||||||||
| Rugby, Demonstration of Wood ball | |||||||||
| 5th – 18th | Copa Coca Cola | Coca Cola | Mvara SS – Arua | ||||||
| 6th – 16th | National Primary Schools Kids and SNE | UPSGSA | Sironko/ Kitgum/ | ||||||
| Athletics Championship | Masaka/Busia | ||||||||
| District | |||||||||
| June | |||||||||
| 28th – 30th | Secondary | Schools National | Swimming | USSSA | Kampala Region | ||||
| (SSNS) Gala; Racket/Bat/Board Games | |||||||||
| 29th – 30th | Disability Cricket | UPS & UCA | Kyambogo | ||||||
| University | |||||||||
July
| 5th – 12th | National Secondary Schools Ball Game II | USSSA | Dr. Obote SS and | |||||||
| (Handball/Netball/Volleyball/Swimming/Bo | St. Catherine SS – | |||||||||
| ard Games/FUFA S1 & S2 tournaments. | Lira | |||||||||
| Athletics & Cross Country Championship | ||||||||||
| 23rd – 31st | ALL AFRICA University Games (FASUG) | FAUSU | Rabat – Morocco – | |||||||
| August | ||||||||||
| 1st – 5th | FASU GAMES Continued | Rabat – Morocco | ||||||||
| 13th – 23rd | 18th Edition of East Africa Secondary | FEASSSA | Kenya | |||||||
| Schools Games (FEASSA and Primary | ||||||||||
| School | ||||||||||
| Athletics/Netball/Football/Handball/Hockey | ||||||||||
| Volleyball/Basketball/Rugby | and | |||||||||
| Swimming) | ||||||||||
| 14th | 8TH Edition of the Education Sector Physical | PES | & | ESSR | Kampala/Wakiso | |||||
| Activity and Sports (ESSR PAS)Gala | Secretariat | |||||||||
| 20th – 30th | 7th Edition of the National Technical & | National | Bukinda | PTC – | ||||||
| Vocational | Institutes/PTC | Games | Association of | Kabale/Ndegeya | ||||||
| (Athletics/Cross Country/Basketball/ | PTCs | Technical | CPTC – Masaka/ | |||||||
| Football/Handball/Netball/Volleyball/Wood | Vocational | Bishop | Stuart – | |||||||
| ball/Board Games) and MDD | Institutes | Sports | Mbarara/Kabale | |||||||
| Association | TI | – | ||||||||
| NAPTVISA | Kabale/Rukungiri | |||||||||
| TI – Rukungiri | ||||||||||
| 25th – 31st | International Paralympic Committee Games | UPC/NCS/PES | Tokyo Japan | |||||||
| 26th – 31st | Primary Schools and SNE Ball Games | UPSSGA | Masaka/Kabale/ | |||||||
| Bushenyi | ||||||||||
| September | ||||||||||
| 1st – 5th | Primary Schools and SNE Ball Games | UPSSGA | Masaka/Kabale/ | |||||||
| Bushenyi | ||||||||||
| 1st -6th | International Paralympic Committee Games | UPC/NCS/PES | Tokyo Japan | |||||||
| 1st – 10th | Health Training | Institutions | Games | APHTIU | Fort | portal | ||||
| (Athletics/X-Couuntry/Handball/ | Football/ | College of Health | ||||||||
| Netball/Volleyball/Wood ball | & Board | Sciences | – | |||||||
| Games) | Kabarole/ Kabale | |||||||||
| Nursing | School/ | |||||||||
| UIAHMS | ||||||||||
| Mulago | – | |||||||||
| Kampala | ||||||||||
| 25th -30th | 7TH Edition of the National Education | UPC | Mbale | |||||||
| Institutions Disability Sports Gala | ||||||||||
| October | ||||||||||
| 17th -24th | International | Schools | sports | Federation | ISF | Jinjiang – China | ||||
| Summer Gymnasiade | ||||||||||
| 25th -31st | Tertiary | Institutions | Champions | Uganda Tertiary | UAHAIMS, | ||
| Championship | Institutions | Mulago | – | ||||
| Sports | Kampala | ||||||
| Association | |||||||
| (UTISA) | |||||||
| November | |||||||
| 1st – 6th | Tertiary | Institutions | Champions | UTISA | UAHAIMS | ||
| Championship | |||||||
| December | |||||||
| 10th – 20th | East Africa Inaugural Games for Tertiary | Federation | of | Kenya/ | Kampala | ||
| Institutions | East | Africa | – | ||||
| Tertiary | Uganda/Tanzania | ||||||
| Institutions | |||||||
| Regional | Sports | ||||||
| Associations | |||||||
| (FEATIRSA) | |||||||
| 15th – 22nd | East Africa University Sport Games | EAUSF | Ndejje University | ||||
| – Luwero | |||||||
Public Holidays 2020
| Wednesday | 1st January, 2020 | New year’s Day |
| Sunday | 26th January, 2020 | NRM Liberation Day |
| Sunday | 16th February, 2020 | Archbishop Janani Luwum Day |
| Sunday | 8th March, 2020 | Women’s Day |
| Friday | 10th April, 2020 | Good Friday |
| Sunday | 12th April, 2020 | Easter Sunday |
| Monday | 13th April, 2020 | Easter Monday |
| Friday | 1st May, 2020 | Labour Day |
| Wednesday | 3rd June, 2020 | Uganda Martyrs’ Day |
| Tuesday | 9th June, 2020 | National Heroes’ Day |
| Sunday | 24th May, 2020 | Eid -Il- Fitr |
| Friday | 31st July 2020 | Eid al-Adha |
| Friday | 9th October, 2020 | Independence day |
| Friday | 25th December, 2020 | Christmas Day |
| Saturday | 26th December, 2020 | Boxing day |
Notes on Calendar
N.B. (i) This calendar does not include dates for Private and Public Universities. Their dates are decided upon by the respective Universities.
The days as recorded on this calendar include public holidays and weekends.
The number of weeks in the semester cycle is based on a 7-day working week.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education & Sports should be notified of any changes in the schedules in the calendar.
Compliance by all
This calendar must be complied with by all Education Institutions (Government and Private). No teaching shall take place in any institution during designated holidays without the written permission of the Permanent Secretary. Also, note that violation of this calendar shall invite disciplinary action against Headteachers/Schools.
The dates indicated on this calendar may only be varied after obtaining written permission, on an individual basis, from the Permanent Secretary on the recommendation of the Director of Education, Basic and Secondary Education or Higher, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Ministry of Education and Sports, as the case may be.
