Education Minister Awut Deng Acuil. | Photo: Catholic Radio Network

The Minister of General Education and Instruction has revealed the anticipated academic calendar for the upcoming academic year of 2024.

The calendar was revised in 2023 after the long interruption caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which the ministry said, significantly disrupted learning worldwide between 2020 and 2022.

According to the Ministry, schools will now operate under the 2024 academic year, commencing in February and concluding in December.

It stated that final examinations for primary 8 and senior 4 classes are scheduled between mid-November and mid-December.

According to the detailed calendar, Term 1 will span from Monday, February 5th, 2024, to Friday, May 10th, 2024, including 67 instructional days.

Subsequently, there will be a two-week break from Saturday, May 11th, to Friday, May 24th, 2024.

Term Two is set to run from Monday, May 27th, 2024, to Friday, September 6th, 2024, comprising 71 instructional days.

This will be followed by another two-week break, starting on Saturday, September 7th, and concluding on Friday, September 22nd, 2024.

The academic year’s third and final term will commence on Monday, September 23rd, 2024, and terminate on Friday, December 20th, 2024, including 65 instruction days.

The distribution of instructional booklets will be facilitated by the State Ministries of Education, County Education Departments, and Payam Education Offices to assist schools in implementing the 2024 academic calendar.

In a related development, the Ministry of General Education has recommended class sizes for Pre-primary, Primary, and Secondary levels based on specific standards.

It suggests a maximum of twenty learners in Pre-primary classes, fifty in primary classes, and forty-five in secondary classes, aligning with the Ministry’s educational policy.

Furthermore, the Ministry highlighted that classes exceeding 50 learners in Primary or 45 in Secondary must be divided into smaller streams to maintain quality learning and adhere to physical distancing protocols within each classroom.

The Ministry of Education stated that learners with disabilities and functional difficulties are guaranteed the right to register in a school of their choice.

Upon reopening, Pre-primary and Secondary classes will adopt the new South Sudan curriculum, with a national language chosen by the school as the medium of instruction for Pre-primary and Primary 1.

The Minister of General Education and Instruction, Awut Deng Acuil, has urged all stakeholders, including educational partners, to accord their support to ensure the successful implementation of this calendar.