Da Dona
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
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Teachers and proprietors of private schools have raised concerns over the Ministry of Education and Sports' decision to suspend all school trips following a rise in road accidents, warning that the move could negatively affect learners under the new lower secondary competency-based curriculum.
Speaking at the Uganda School for the Deaf in Ntinda, National Private Educational Institutions Uganda (NPEIU) Chairperson Jose Busiku Wanemba said educational trips are an important part of experiential learning and should only be suspended temporarily.
Wanemba argued that while learner safety is important, halting school trips is not the solution to road accidents. He noted that many students had already prepared for educational excursions designed to complement classroom learning.
He further pointed out that although school trips have been suspended, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has not suspended the assessment of practical learning activities under the competency-based curriculum. This, he said, leaves schools worried about how learners will acquire and demonstrate the required competencies without field-based learning experiences.
Wanemba urged government to focus on broader road safety measures instead of maintaining a prolonged ban on educational trips, saying such excursions are essential for holistic education.
Meanwhile, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Education Officer Gerald Makamba said the authority will strictly enforce the ministry's directive, especially in Kampala.
Makamba said KCCA inspectors will monitor schools to ensure none resumes educational trips until the Ministry ofEducation and Sports issues fresh guidance. He reassured parents, teachers and learners that the suspension is a temporary precaution aimed at protecting students as government reviews school transport and travel safety measures.
The officials made the remarks 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 attracted pupils from 32 schools across Kampala, with teachers reporting noticeable improvements in learners' handwriting and writing confidence.
Representatives from BIC, including Victor Wandera Egesa and Anne Kimani, said the initiative seeks to improve children's handwriting through the proper use of pens while promoting inclusive education for all learners, including children with disabilities. They emphasized that strengthening foundational literacy and writing skills remains key to improving learning outcomes.
The Ministry of Education and Sports recently suspended school trips nationwide following a series of fatal road accidents involving school transport. The directive will remain in force until government completes a review of school travel safety guidelines.
Source: Nile post UG
