Education is one of the sectors that have taken the biggest hit from the Covid-19 pandemic, severely disrupting the academic progression of millions of children around the world. In Rwanda, while some tertiary institutions and private schools tried to adopt virtual learning to mitigate the impact of sudden school closures, the overwhelming majority of learners were forced to repeat a grade level once schools reopened. And when schools finally reopened they did so in phases, with the last group to report back to school being children in pre-primary and lower primary education. As a result, pre-primary and lower primary pupils had to return to school last month for a shorter-than-normal third term of the academic year, while others were still on holiday. That ‘catch-up’ term was set to end Friday, August 27, with the youngsters expected to rest for a few days before the next academic year begins. However, there is still no official date set for the re-opening of the next academic year. And this has created a sense of uncertainty among those involved, especially parents and teachers. Of course, Covid has made it extremely impossible to plan ahead, at least in some aspects. Nonetheless, it is important that people have at least a tentative schedule for the upcoming school calendar, more especially the start date. This would particularly help parents and guardians – who are struggling as a result of a myriad of Covid-induced financial challenges – to plan in advance and ensure that their children report to school in time. It is, therefore, imperative that the Ministry of Education urgently engages relevant stakeholders with a view to releasing details of the upcoming academic year as soon as possible. Having said that, school administrators, teachers as well as parents should also not sit back and wait until the ministry has announced the schedule for the forthcoming academic year. Instead, they should each start preparing to provide the learners with what they need to perform well once they return to school.
