The 2021 academic calendar starts on 4th January 2021 and will end on 8th October 2021, Ministry of Education has disclosed.

First term will run from 4th January to 26th March 2021; second term from 12th April to 2nd July 2021 and third term from 19th July to 8th October 2021.

The Ministry has since advised all education institutions [as they open on the 4th of January 2021] to follow all laid down COVID-19 preventive measures.

“Education institutions shall also continue operating by adhering to administrative measures and strategies that were used in the third term of 2019/20 pertaining to teacher and students’ attendance, time on task, continuous assessment and remediation,” reads the statement signed by Chikondano Mussa, Secretary for Education.

The statement further encourages all parents, teachers, learners and students to strictly practice the three preventive measures: washing hands, social distancing and wearing of face masks.

“The Ministry is aware that COVID-19 is amidst us and appeals for education institutions to be in constant touch with the community health surveillance systems so that the institutions are always alert on issues of public health.

“All school managers and educators are further reminded that they should implement the curriculum and all remedial guidelines that have been laid down to ensure maximum coverage of the curriculum as the 2021 academic calendar is shorter than the ideal, taking into account that the calendar is still in the catch-up strategy,” Mussa explains.