Kanungu Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC) Dr Ahimbisibwe Gad Rugaju has warned head teachers against forcing students to attend holiday lessons in violation of the Ministry of Education and Sports school calendar.
Dr Rugaju said learners are currently observing a three-week holiday and urged parents, teachers and students to use the break for rest, individual reading and productive home activities ahead of the third term.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Dr Rugaju said the third term will be particularly demanding and short, especially for candidates preparing for the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) examinations.
He said the holiday is important for learners and teachers to rest and rejuvenate to avoid psychological burnout before returning to school.
“Resting for both teachers and students during these three weeks is essential,” Dr Rugaju said, adding that parents should ensure their children spend the holiday productively.
He urged parents to allow learners to rest, undertake individual reading and participate in normal domestic chores, while discouraging them from loitering in trading centres, bars and making unnecessary visits to friends.
Dr Rugaju also advised head teachers to prepare for the reopening of schools, particularly boarding schools, and receive students in the last weekend of the holiday where necessary.
He, however, said schools may offer voluntary assistance to candidate classes provided they do not charge holiday fees, although he cautioned that candidates also need adequate rest as they prepare for national examinations.
Dr Rugaju criticised schools that allegedly continue teaching during holidays primarily to collect fees for holiday programmes, saying such practices put an unnecessary financial burden on families in Kanungu, where many households depend on subsistence farming.
He urged head teachers to strictly adhere to the school calendar issued by the Ministry of Education and Sports, saying holidays provide relief to parents, teachers and learners.
Dr Rugaju warned that head teachers who deliberately violate the school calendar to extort holiday teaching fees would be held accountable.
“Any head teacher who insists on teaching during the holidays with the aim of extorting holiday teaching fees, and not genuinely helping learners, will be held liable and appropriate action, including arrest, will be taken,” he said.
He called on parents and schools to work together to ensure learners return from the holiday refreshed, disciplined and ready to concentrate on their studies.
