While the Ministry of Education declared a three-week holiday break for learners to rest after a long term, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Across the country, children carrying heavy school bags still walk or ride boda bodas to school. In places like Wakiso and Kampala, many are seen as early as 6:30 a.m., as if the term is in full session.
Alex Kakeeko, a resident in Nansana, expressed concern after witnessing the trend. “It’s a holiday, but learners are still going to school as if it were still term time. When do these children rest?” Many schools, especially private institutions, are openly running intensive holiday coaching programmes, targeting mainly pre-candidates and candidates in P6, P7, S3, and S4.
Schools are no longer hiding the practice as several have even sent official circulars to parents announcing holiday schedules and are aggressively advertising the programmes on social media. For instance, St. Theresa Rubaga Girls School directed P6 and P7 learners to report for what it termed “Term X” on May 4, 2026. Some schools, like Mengo Senior School, have shifted to online programmes, with learners engaged from morning through the afternoon.
This defiance comes despite Uganda already having one of the longest school calendars and school days in the region. The short three-week break, which is meant to offer learners and teachers much-needed rest, is increasingly being converted into extra teaching sessions, putting immense pressure on both children and parents.
The Ministry of Education has for years issued strong warnings against holiday teaching, describing it as a harmful “vice.” This year, the ministry escalated its language, saying the matter has been decentralised and that police and Chief Administrative Officers would handle offending schools. However, enforcement remains largely ineffective.
Speaking to our reporter, Frances Atima, Director of Education Standards, insisted the ministry is now taking firmer action behind the scenes and that compiling lists of schools involved and forwarding them to the Permanent Secretary for appropriate sanctions.
Parents and stakeholders hold mixed views on the controversial practice. Kenneth Mirimu, a parent in Nabweru, noted that Ministry directives are usually effective in public schools but have little impact on the private sector.
Musician Mazo M16, who is based in Nansana, strongly opposed holiday teaching. He described the practice as harmful and called on the government to completely ban it. Mazo said holiday teaching exposes learners to serious risks. He questioned what schools are covering in the three weeks that were not completed during the term, and urged authorities to shut down institutions that ignore ministry directives.
However, not all parents are against the practice. Another parent, Richard Kakembo, explained that some parents actually request holiday programmes, especially to help their weaker children catch up and strengthen their academic performance.
David Ssebakide, a resident of Bwaise, believes holiday programmes are beneficial because they keep learners engaged and help cover portions of the curriculum that cannot be completed during the regular term.
However, this argument might not be entirely true given the fact that the national curriculum is designed and timed according to the official school calendar and term timetable. If properly followed, there should be no need for extra holiday lessons-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
