Ministry allays fears related to automatic promotion of learners

By Benjamin Jumbe

The ministry of education and sports has come out to allay fears related to automatic promotion of learners.

This follows concerns raised by various stakeholders after the minister of Education Janet Museveni revealed while releasing the school reopening program that learners would automatically be promoted to the next levels.

The director basic and secondary education in the ministry Dr Ismael Mulindwa says this does not affect many classes, further giving assurance that any thing lost can be recovered in the next class given the education curriculum.

Experts meanwhile have tipped government on the best way to handle automatic promotion of students.

The country executive director UWEZO Uganda Dr Mary Gorretti Nakabugo says while this may be looked at as one of the strategies to cover up for time lost due to the pandemic, there is need for a structured system and time table for teachers to deliver remedial lessons especially for learners who did not access online lessons to ensure all are at the same level.

She says there is need to ensure every child is assessed and helped to learn if this strategy is to bare the desired results.

Written by Noelyn Nassuuna