Summary:
- The Ministry of Education warns against holiday teaching, emphasizes student well-being. Minister Moriku urges parents to focus on daughters’ health, values. Term one praised despite challenges. Term two standards emphasized. Uganda to join National Play Day, highlighting importance of play in children’s development.
The Ministry of Education and Sports has sternly warned against conducting teaching and coaching activities for learners during holidays, as the first term of 2024 nears its end.
Term one, running from February 5 to May 2, leaves only one week for students to enjoy their break, yet many educational institutions persist in engaging learners in studies during this time.
Joyce Moriku Kadacu, the minister of state for primary education, emphasized the ministry’s zero-tolerance stance on holiday teaching and coaching, stating that such practices violate regulations and standards.
Moriku also urged parents to prioritize their daughters’ well-being during the holiday period, emphasizing the importance of counseling on reproductive health and rights, promoting abstinence, and instilling Christian values, cultural norms, and social etiquette.
Despite challenges such as fire outbreaks and a conjunctivitis outbreak during term one, Moriku praised the discipline and dialogue-oriented approach of learners, expressing gratitude to school administrators, teachers, and students.
Looking ahead to term two, the ministry emphasized the importance of all schools meeting minimum standards, particularly regarding sleeping arrangements, sanitation facilities, fire safety measures, and lightning protection.
Uganda will also participate in the inaugural National Play Day on April 30, with the aim of highlighting play as crucial to children’s learning and well-being. The event, themed “Introducing the concept of play and learning through play,” will feature the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Kataha Museveni, as the chief guest, aiming to educate stakeholders on the importance of play in children’s development and showcase play-based learning interventions. Parents are encouraged to actively engage in playful activities with their children as part of their daily routines.
