KAMPALA, UGANDA | ENTEBBENEWS.NET | As schools reopen for the second term, Uganda’s education sector is abuzz with a newly released set of guidelines aimed at curbing emerging challenges in schools. Issued on May 16 by the Ministry of Education and Sports, the guidelines have been welcomed by both educationists and parents, though many emphasize that the real impact will depend on consistent enforcement.
The guidelines address a wide range of issues, including inappropriate school entertainment, which has led to what is described as sexualized and extravagant parties, unregulated school tours, school visitations, and school leadership election processes. “The Ministry of Education has observed with concern the growing exposure of learners to inappropriate, exploitative, and unsafe entertainment,” said Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, the Ministry’s permanent secretary, in the circular, which is seeking to promote age-appropriate and safe learning environments.
Immy Namusoke, a parent who participated in a weekend TikTok live discussion organized by concerned parents, welcomed the move. “This is the right timing. Things have been getting out of hand. Schools have been doing whatever they wish, and some have become unrecognizable,” she said. During the discussion, many other parents echoed Namusoke’s views, calling for the restoration of order and clarity in the education sector. One participant remarked that the system “had gone to the dogs,” reflecting the growing frustration among parents over the lack of regulation and oversight in schools.
Offline, parents are expressing similar sentiments. Agnes Nakato, a mother of three from Kawempe, described the guidelines as a much-needed intervention during an interview with Uganda Radio Network, saying they are “a lifeline.” “For too long, schools have been doing whatever they want; changing rules, hiking fees, and exposing our children to things that don’t align with their education. At least now we feel like someone is finally listening to parents,” she added.
Hasadu Kirabira is the Chairperson of the National Private Educational Institutions Association (NPEIA), acknowledged that some schools had indeed gone overboard in certain practices and someone needed to call them out, thus partly welcoming the ministry’s move to step in.
Kirabira believes there are indeed practices within schools that need to be either banned or strictly regulated to align with national education values and goals. However, he also expressed reservations about certain provisions within the new guidelines, arguing that some aspects may be impractical or require further clarification.
He cited the directive restricting school tours and learner travel beyond 6 p.m. as an example. “In some cases, this restriction is not practical, especially for long-distance trips that require flexibility in travel schedules,” he noted.
Kirabira also raised concerns over the ban on parents bringing food during visitation days, paired with the prohibition on schools selling meals to visitors, suggesting that such measures need to be reviewed for feasibility and fairness.
He added that as an association, they are preparing a formal response to the ministry to highlight grey areas, seeking clarifications, and showing full support for the effort to curb exaggerated and harmful trends that have slowly but surely crept into our schools over the years.
For years, many parents have blamed the government for failing to effectively regulate private and public schools, allowing institutions to operate unchecked often to the detriment of both learners and parents.
From excessive charges of items sometimes irrelevant to education to unregulated entertainment, parents say schools have exploited the system with little accountability. The newly issued guidelines are therefore being hailed as a much-needed intervention to restore sanity and structure within the education sector.
Dr. Mary Goretti Nakabugo, Executive Director of Uwezo Uganda and a seasoned educationist, acknowledged that several practices in some schools had indeed gotten out of control. She noted, however, that the positive side is that many of these excesses have so far been limited to a few elite institutions, and the new guidelines could help prevent them from spreading further.
From a practical standpoint, she emphasized that schools operate in different contexts, and not everything can be applied uniformly. While some may view certain practices as extravagances, in some settings, they reflect the lifestyle or expectations of the families who can afford such schools. Even so, she stressed that the government has a critical role in setting boundaries and ensuring regulation, but must strike a balance and avoid overregulation while keeping the child’s well-being at the center of all education policies.
Patrick Kaboyo, education policy analyst, also welcomed the new guidelines, saying they were long overdue. According to him, schools cannot be left unsupervised, especially as many have increasingly drifted from core educational values.
However, he expressed concern that without strong enforcement, effective monitoring and follow-up, the guidelines risk becoming just another set of rules on paper or ending up being no more than “scarecrows.”
Kaboyo’s expression is rooted in the fact that this is not the first set of guidelines the Ministry has issued. In recent years, several policies and regulations have been introduced, but many remain unenforced and largely ignored. A simple example is the school calendar. Despite clear directives, enforcement has failed Some schools reopened and resumed teaching two weeks before the official start of term, while others continued conducting lessons during the holidays. Both practices are in direct violation of a circular issued by the Ministry at the beginning of the year.
Beyond weak enforcement, Kaboyo also criticized parents for their limited involvement, despite the fact that the issues being addressed directly affect their children. He argued that parents are best positioned to tackle some of these challenges but have remained largely passive and uninformed.
He further expressed shock that many of the practices being regulated in the new guidelines are enabled by parents, some unknowingly, others driven by excitement. He emphasized that effective enforcement cannot rest on the Ministry alone but requires a collective effort involving local leaders, parents, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders. To him, with a unified approach, schools will be compelled to comply with the regulations.
One of the educationists interviewed for this story, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from the Ministry where he is currently consulting argued that the enforcement of many Ministry rules and guidelines often fails from the outset. According to him, many of the schools engaging in questionable or exploitative practices are owned by influential individuals, including ministers, senior civil servants, and powerful political figures.
“In the education sector, from inspectors to ministers, many of them own schools and it is these very schools that are engaging in some of the most outrageous practices. Yet no one holds them accountable. That’s the contradiction no one wants to talk about. Some of these individuals are highly vindictive, but the truth must be said for the sake of our children,” he said.
He pointed to an earlier Ministry circular banning artists from performing in schools due to concerns over indecent dressing and inappropriate behavior. “Do I need to tell you that artists have continued to perform in schools especially those owned by prominent people? Videos are all over social media. What action has been taken? None. Everyone buries their head in the sand, and now we’re seeing yet another circular being issued on the same issue,” he added.
Conflict of interest remains a significant challenge in the education sector. While the National Development Plan IV proposes banning civil servants and technocrats in the education sector from owning schools, he questioned the feasibility of enforcing such a policy, given the deep entrenchment of vested interests.
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