In a circular, to which Lusa had access, the ministerial organ noted the need to adjust the academic calendar, in order to "guarantee a minimum of academic weeks that allow the curricular programs to be fulfilled".
According to the document, the academic calendar is being adjusted, with the contribution of the managers of higher education institutions, within the scope of which Saturday school activities are planned.
The measure will be adopted "if the needs to organize schedules and classes so require", stressed the document, referring that the possibility is contemplated in Presidential Decree 3/17, of 26 January, which approves the academic calendar.
The Ministry of Higher Education also said that despite the uncertainty about the evolution of the covid-19 pandemic in the world and in Angola, "likely to create hesitations and pessimism", higher education institutions should already start creating conditions for the resumption of the activity taking into account preventive measures.
Classes in higher education in the country, which are expected to continue until January 2021, were suspended in March, before the declaration of a state of emergency that aims to contain the spread of the new coronavirus across the country.
In the document signed by the minister of the sector, Maria do Rosário Sambo, the organization recalled that higher education institutions are only authorized to charge fees up to a maximum value of 60 percent while the state of temporary exception lasts.
The minister said last week that the joint executive decree, between the ministries of Education, Finance and Higher Education, about charging fees in private education "does not oblige, but authorizes" institutions to charge.
"Higher education institutions are prevented from charging any additional tuition fees, in addition to those necessary for the payment of the 10 months provided for each academic year", the note reads.
In the field of the use of technologies for non-classroom teaching, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation praised the commitment of some institutions, but recalled that any type of non-classroom activity that is carried out during the emergency "cannot be seen as compliance with the academic calendar, which is suspended ".
