Wakiso Bans Boarding Facilities for Children Under Six

What the report says

Wakiso District has moved to stop schools from boarding children younger than six, saying institutions that break the rule could face closure and prosecution. The directive applies to nursery schools and lower primary classes and is tied to new early childhood education guidelines from Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports, which the district says are meant to improve standards and protect young learners.

According to the Nile Post report, Wakiso District Deputy Education Officer Hajjat Janat Nakabugo said officials had identified several schools violating the ministry guidance. She said the district would enforce the rules strictly and warned that schools keeping small children in boarding facilities risked being shut down, while their administrators could be taken to court.

The district also said nursery schools should not keep children at school for more than six hours. In addition, school vehicles have been barred from transporting children below six, with enforcement handed to traffic police. Parents will now be expected to drop off and pick up their children themselves.

The ministry’s recent guidelines divide early childhood education into daycare, nursery and pre-primary categories. In practical terms, Wakiso’s action reflects broader government efforts to regulate early education and reduce risks for very young children, especially around supervision, transport and school routines.