Ministry of Education Must End Holiday Teaching in Schools
By Dickson Tumuramye
For
many families, school holidays are a precious opportunity to have children back
home. Parents get to hear their stories, share meals, play together, and
reconnect after a demanding term. Yes, having children at home can sometimes be
stressful, especially for working parents. But that does not make the holiday
unnecessary. A school holiday is part of a child’s education, not a wasted
period.
Yet
across Uganda, some schools continue teaching, coaching and organising academic
programmes during holidays, particularly for upper classes and candidates. This
practice must stop. Some schools began their holidays last week, while the
current school term officially ends on August 21.
A
holiday is not a luxury
Children
need time away from classrooms to rest physically, mentally, and emotionally.
They need unstructured play, family interaction, sleep, recreation, chores and
opportunities to explore interests outside textbooks. When every holiday
becomes another classroom, what exactly are we protecting—the child’s education
or the school’s academic targets?
Uganda’s
mental-health situation should make us more cautious. The State of Uganda
Population Report 2025 estimates that 22.9% of children and 24.2% of adults are
affected by mental-health conditions. Recent concerns raised by mental-health
advocates have specifically pointed to academic pressure and long school hours
as factors exposing children to emotional distress.
It
is amazing to see that children’s mental health issues outcompete those of
parents, yet parents are the ones with so much on their plates, like family upkeep,
school fees, loans, etc. If we know children need protection from excessive
pressure, why do we continue creating an education system in which the school
calendar never seems to end?
When
does learning become too much?
In
some schools, the term ends on Friday and children return for holiday lessons
on Monday, or after one week. Others are required to report before the official
opening date because schools want to compensate for days they have voluntarily
taken away from the holiday. Some schools have gone further, with extremely
early morning preparations and children travelling long distances before
sunrise and returning home late. We must ask: Is a Primary Four child in the boarding
section really supposed to wake up at 4 am for classes? What is so special in
this new curriculum a child is learning?
The
Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) has previously warned schools against
teaching during official holidays. The problem, therefore, is no longer simply
the existence of a policy. The real question is enforcement. In April 2026, the
Ministry reportedly directed local authorities to act against schools and
teachers conducting lessons during holidays. So, what happens after the
warning? Could it be because some senior officials in the MoES have schools that
are also expensive. I smell another corruption tendency here. I feel that if
the officials themselves are culprits when they are supposed to be the
custodians of such policies and protectors of our children, then nothing might
be done to protect our children from academic pressure and mental health
challenges.
Parents are trapped
Many
parents genuinely want their children to rest. But they are trapped by
competition among schools. If some schools conduct holiday lessons and others don’t,
parents fear that their children will fall behind. A child who stays home may
return to school and discover that classmates have already covered new
material.
This
creates a vicious cycle. Schools teach because they fear losing academic
advantage; parents comply because they fear their children will be
disadvantaged; and children lose their holidays. Who, then, is protecting the
child? Even when a parent keeps the child at home, the child may not
necessarily rest mentally because when the schools officially resume, there
will be a cost to pay in some way. The Ministry must break this cycle.
Schools
must not become cash cows
Holiday
teaching is also part of a wider concern about the financial pressure placed on
parents. Parents are already heavily paying fees, transport, meals, uniforms,
scholastic materials and numerous school requirements. Yet every term brings
another list.
Why,
for example, must every child bring a ream of paper? In a school with 500
learners, that is 500 reams. Where do they all go? Why must every child bring
multiple brooms, brushes, squeezers, and other items when schools already have
hundreds of learners yet with a few toilet facilities, squeezed and congested dormitories,
and paved compounds? What are they sweeping daily or cleaning daily that
requires all that? These questions deserve transparent answers and stronger
regulation. We deserve fairness for our children. We also need a policy on
school fees and requirements charged to us.
Ministry,
inspectors and parents must act
As
this holiday begins, I challenge the MoES to issue a clear public directive
requiring 100% compliance with the official school calendar. DEOs and school
inspectors should actively monitor schools rather than waiting for complaints. School
proprietors who deliberately violate the calendar should face meaningful
consequences.
Parents
also have a responsibility. We must stop measuring good education by how little
free time our children have. A child who rests is not wasting time. A child who
plays is not necessarily falling behind. A child who spends time with family is
learning too.
It
is Not Yet Too Late
Uganda
needs an education system that develops healthy, creative, resilient, and
competent human beings, not exhausted examination machines. The question is
simple: If adults need weekends, annual leave, and rest to remain productive,
why should children be denied the same human need? Let this holiday be
different.
Let
our children go home. Let them sleep. Let them play. Let them talk. Let them
laugh. Let them reconnect with their families. Let them rest. And let the
Ministry ensure that a school holiday is truly a holiday. This will reduce
academic pressure, promote greater equity between private and public schools,
narrow the gap between urban and rural learners, ease the financial burden on
parents, and help address the growing mental-health challenges among children.
The
writer is the Executive Director of Hope Regeneration Africa, Parenting Coach,
Marriage Counsellor, and Founder of the Men of Purpose Mentorship Programme
tumudickson@gmail.com
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