Private School Teachers Raise Concerns Over Suspension of Educational Trips in Uganda
KAMPALA — Teachers and proprietors of private schools have expressed concern over the Ministry of Education and Sports’ decision to suspend all educational trips nationwide following a recent rise in fatal road accidents involving school vehicles.
The educators say a prolonged suspension could negatively affect learners, particularly students following Uganda’s lower secondary competency-based curriculum, which places emphasis on practical and experiential learning.
Speaking at the Uganda School for the Deaf in Ntinda, the Chairperson of the National Private Educational Institutions Uganda (NPEIU), Jose Busiku Wanemba, said the suspension should be temporary and followed by stronger safety measures.
Wanemba argued that educational trips play an important role in helping learners gain practical knowledge outside the classroom.
“We hope this suspension does not last long because students had prepared to learn a lot through these educational trips, especially those in secondary schools. Suspending school trips is not the solution to the problem of road accidents,” Wanemba said.
He also raised concerns about the impact of the suspension on the implementation of the lower secondary competency-based curriculum.
According to Wanemba, while educational trips have been suspended, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) continues to assess practical learning activities under the new curriculum.
He said this has left schools questioning how learners will acquire and demonstrate some of the required competencies without access to field-based learning experiences.
Wanemba called for broader road safety interventions, including improved school transport systems and stricter enforcement of traffic regulations, instead of relying on a prolonged suspension of educational trips.
KCCA to Monitor Compliance With School Trips Suspension
Meanwhile, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has warned schools against violating the Ministry of Education’s directive.
KCCA Education Officer Gerald Makamba said the authority would closely monitor schools, particularly those operating in Kampala, to ensure compliance.
“We will monitor schools, especially in Kampala, to ensure they fully implement the minister’s directive. No school will be allowed to resume educational trips until we receive further guidance from the Ministry of Education,” Makamba said.
Makamba reassured parents, teachers and learners that the suspension is a temporary safety measure intended to protect students as the government reviews school transport and travel arrangements.
The directive followed a series of serious road crashes involving school vehicles, raising concerns about the safety of learners travelling for educational activities.
Handwriting Competition Promotes Literacy and Inclusion
The comments were made during the closing ceremony of a month-long handwriting competition for lower primary learners held at the Uganda School for the Deaf in Ntinda.
The competition brought together pupils from 32 schools across Kampala, with teachers reporting improvements in learners’ handwriting skills and confidence in writing.
Representatives from BIC, which supported the initiative, including Victor Wandera Egesa and Anne Kimani, said the programme was designed to promote better handwriting through the proper use of pens while supporting inclusive education.
They emphasised the importance of initiatives that strengthen foundational literacy and writing skills, saying such programmes can contribute to improved learning outcomes and give every child, including learners with disabilities, a better opportunity to succeed.
The Ministry of Education and Sports recently suspended school trips across Uganda following a series of fatal road accidents involving school transport. The suspension will remain in place until further safety guidelines are issued.
