Kampala, (UG):- All schools and higher institutions will break off for 10 days during the national population headcount scheduled to take place from May 9, 2024, the Education Ministry has ordered.
The directive issued by the ministry’s director for higher, technical, and vocational education and training, Dr. Jane Egau Okou, on behalf of the permanent secretary, instructs heads of institutions to ensure learners are home at the inception of the national census 2024.
“According to the approved roadmap, the census Night will be from May 9 to 10, and field enumeration will take place from May 10 to 20. During this exercise, all learners at all levels of education will be expected to be at home on the census night and the enumeration period,” reads the letter addressed to heads of institutions and vice-chancellors across the country.
The letter underscored the relevance of the census saying it will generate information that will be utilised in the planning and implementation of government policies.
“The data will be important for rolling out the electoral roadmaps and mass enrolment by both the Electoral Commission and National Identification and Registration Authority, respectively,” the letter further reads.
Schools, Varsities adjust academic calendar
Reacting to the directive, schools and higher institutions of learning have now adjusted their academic calendars to allow students to return home to participate in the national population census exercise.
For example, all Primary and secondary schools are set to close for the first term holiday before May 10, 2024, while some universities have postponed and others have pulled closer their end-of-semester examinations to let students travel back home.
At Makerere University, Prof Barnabas Nanwangwe, the Vice Chancellor said they have postponed her examination to start on May 21, 2024, after the census, while Gulu University has adjusted semester examinations to end by May 7, 2024.
“Yes, we have received the letter and we will adjust our semester schedule accordingly,” Prof Nawangwe said.
Prof Eli Katunguka, the Kyambogo University Vice Chancellor, also acknowledged receipt of the letter, but expressed concern since this is the time his students will be doing end-of-semester examinations.
“We got that letter telling us that the census will be on May 9 and 10 and that between May 10 and May 20, there will be field enumeration and that they are requesting all learners to be home during this period. So this letter was written in November 2023, but we received it only in February when we had started our semester and we had made our plans, and this is a time when we shall start examinations,” Prof Katunguka said.
About the Census
Uganda holds a national population census every 10 years. This year’s census will run for ten days, starting May 9, 2024, and ending May 19, 2024.
The national population of 2024 was launched by President Museveni in December last year and will be the first exercise to use digital technology to collect and process data.
The census figures play a critical role in guiding planning, policy formulation, and program implementation, as well as monitoring development progress in line with national goals and objectives.
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