The Shadow Minister of Sports, Hon. Bulasio Zambaali, has raised concern over the widespread and unregulated practice of holiday teaching in schools, warning that it is denying learners time to rest and bond with their families.
Zambaali, who is also the Nansana Municipality MP, raised the matter of national importance during Wednesday’s sitting of Parliament chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth.
“There is a rampant and unregulated practice of holiday teaching, commonly referred to as holiday coaching, in several private and public or government-aided schools,” Zambaali said.
He said school holidays were provided for in the Ministry of Education and Sports calendar to give learners time to rest and interact with their parents and guardians, but some schools had turned the breaks into additional classroom sessions.
Zambaali asked the Ministry to issue a firm directive enforcing compliance with the official school calendar and strengthen monitoring of schools that violate the guidelines.
He also called for penalties against schools that continue conducting unauthorised lessons during holidays.
Speaker Oboth described the matter as serious and affecting children across the country before inviting the State Minister for Education and Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, to respond.
Minister Ogwang condemned holiday teaching, saying the Ministry’s school calendar clearly provides for instructional periods and holidays.
“The Ministry of Education and Sports condemns the acts of holiday teaching because we issued out a circular to all chief administrative officers across the country and also issued a school calendar which both confirms teaching hours, teaching time and holiday time,” he said.
The minister urged parents and members of the public to report schools that violate the official calendar.
He provided a toll-free hotline, 0800 377 771, for the public to report cases of holiday teaching, saying the Ministry would work with police to investigate schools where the practice is reported.
“I want to issue out a hotline or help line [0800 377 771] for any member of the public who finds any school anywhere in the country. You can call that number to tell them where the practice is taking place, so that as a Ministry we route police to that respective area or school where the illegal practice is taking place,” Minister Ogwang said.
He cautioned school administrators against disregarding the official school calendar, saying the Ministry issues it annually to clearly distinguish instructional periods from holiday breaks.
The minister added that circulars issued to chief administrative officers reinforce the prescribed school timelines and prohibit unauthorised teaching during holidays.
Speaker Oboth backed the call for enforcement and urged members of the public to use the toll-free line to report cases so that they can be investigated and addressed promptly.
The concerns come amid broader provisions on child welfare that recognise children’s right to education alongside their right to rest, leisure and family life.
