Agency
Members of Parliament are pressing for stricter enforcement of the Ministry of Education and Sports guidelines on school study tours, citing rampant violations that jeopardize student safety through risky long-distance and nighttime travel.
During a plenary session on Thursday, Sarah Opendi, Tororo District Woman Representative, highlighted schools’ disregard for the Ministry’s May 2025 circular, signed by Permanent Secretary Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, which regulates study tours to prioritize safety and curb excessive costs.
The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, voiced similar concerns, condemning schools for transporting students at night in unsafe vehicles, such as open-roof trucks, with children “packed like luggage.”
Peter Ogwang, Minister of State for Education and Sports, reaffirmed that the circular, distributed to all districts, bans long-distance and nighttime study tours due to safety risks.
In May, the Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda issued guidelines regarding school trips.
According to the guidelines, all school trips should conclude at 6:00 pm, schools should submit their itineraries, and Kindergarten children are not permitted to participate in school trips and restricting lower primary students to exceptional cases with close supervision.
Schools must also inform the police of trip details, such as routes, student numbers, and teacher contacts.
