Private School Teachers Raise Concerns Over Suspension of Educational Trips

What the report says

Nile Post reports that private school proprietors and teachers in Uganda have raised concerns about the Ministry of Education and Sports’ nationwide suspension of school trips, saying an extended pause could undermine practical learning, especially under the new lower secondary competency-based curriculum. The ministry says the directive is a temporary safety step after a rise in road accidents involving school transport.

Speaking at the Uganda School for the Deaf in Ntinda, Jose Busiku Wanemba, chairperson of the National Private Educational Institutions Uganda, urged government not to keep the suspension in place for long. He argued that field visits are important for experiential learning and noted that the Uganda National Examinations Board has not stopped assessing practical learning activities, leaving schools worried about how learners will build and demonstrate required competencies without off-campus experiences.

Kampala Capital City Authority Education Officer Gerald Makamba said KCCA will monitor schools, particularly in Kampala, to ensure compliance with the ministry’s directive. He said no school should resume educational trips until further guidance is issued by the Ministry of Education, and described the measure as a temporary safeguard while government reviews arrangements for school transport and travel.

The remarks were made during the closing ceremony of a month-long handwriting competition for lower primary learners at the Uganda School for the Deaf. According to Nile Post, the event involved pupils from 32 Kampala schools and was supported by BIC representatives, who linked handwriting improvement to broader foundational literacy and inclusive education goals.