By Damali Mukhaye
As the new school term for the 2026 academic year officially begins tomorrow, the Ministry of Education and Sports has called on parents, teachers and school administrators to ensure a smooth and effective start to learning activities from day one.
In a statement released ahead of the start of the term, the State Minister for Education and Sports, Dr J.C. Muyingo, urged parents and guardians to ensure that learners report to school on time, emphasising that teaching and learning begin immediately and that every moment in the classroom matters.
“Tomorrow marks the beginning of the first academic term of 2026. I want to thank parents who have been with our children during this long holiday. I pray that all children of school-going age are sent to school with effect from 10 February, so that we do not lose the valuable time allocated to this term,” Dr Muyingo said.
The minister also challenged teachers to be fully prepared to deliver quality instruction from the very first day of the term.
He stressed that schools must have all essential services and facilities in place to support effective teaching and learning.
“I am also calling upon head teachers and teachers to ensure that on the first day of the term, everybody is at school and learning and teaching are taking place. This is going to be a short term and, any time from now, we shall be conducting end-of-cycle examinations,” Dr Muyingo added.
Additionally, Dr Muyingo called upon inspectors and education authorities to carry out diligent supervision of schools to ensure that institutions provide a safe, secure and conducive learning environment for all learners.
He insisted that only schools and tertiary institutions registered by the government should reopen.
He concluded by appealing to all stakeholders in the education sector to work together to make the new school term productive and successful.
The first term of the 2026 academic year was initially scheduled to reopen on 2 February, in line with the national school calendar issued by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
However, the reopening date was later adjusted and deferred to 10 February 2026 to accommodate the country’s electoral calendar and other key national activities, with the term now set to end on 1 May 2026.
The postponement was largely influenced by the general elections, which involved nationwide polling, vote tallying and related security deployments.
All learners in pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions are required to report to school today.