Kyambogo cancels reopening date, maintains online teaching

Kyambogo University will not open for physical lectures like they had planned on 1^st February for students who are supposed to complete their 2^nd semester and semester 1 and 2, 2020/2021 academic year for all the students.

The university resumed for semester two 2019/200 academic year with Open Distance and E-learning-ODel on 18^th January and was supposed to end on 30^th January. And then they were supposed to report for face to face lectures on 1^st February and end on 14^th February and then sit for their final exams from 15^th to 28^th February.

In his letter to the students and academic staff dated 29^th January, Professor Elli Katunguka Rwakishaya, the University Vice chancellor noted that as one of the Higher Education Institutions, Kyambogo University will adhere to the President’s directive and await further guidance.

“The purpose of this letter therefore, is to relay the position of the government on the re-opening of the universities and to encourage students and academic staff to continue utilizing online learning using the ODel system as we await government guidance”. The letter reads in part.

The President guided that all Higher Education Institutions should continue studying online using the ODel system for at least another three months, to enable the Government find a lasting solution.

ODel is an acronym for Open Distance E-learning, a system institutions of higher learning adopted last year(2020) when they partially reopened to final year students following their closure in March after coronavirus outbreak.

On January 21^st, National Council for Higher Education-NCHE executive director, Professor Mary Okwakol, directed institutions not to reopen for non finalist classes until a decision from the government on the matter is communicated.

Six days later, she wrote to Vice Chancellors and Principals noting that they had received communication from Janet Museveni, the Education and Sports minister, advising that they continue studies online without physical meeting as they (government) establish a solution to COVID-19.