Uganda: Shadow Minister sounds alarm over holiday coaching

The Shadow Minister of Sports, Hon. Bulasio Zambaali, has sounded an alarm over the widespread and unregulated practice of holiday teaching, warning that the practice is turning periods designed for rest and family bonding into extended classroom time. Hon. Zambaali, who is also the MP for Nansana Municipality, raised the issue as a matter of national importance during the House sitting chaired by Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth on Wednesday, 19 August 2026. “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,” he said adding that “Holiday breaks were structured by the Ministry of Education and Sports to allow our children to have a rest and family bond, but some schools have misused this.” He called on the Ministry to issue a firm directive that would enforce compliance with the official school calendar, strengthen oversight, and impose penalties on institutions that continue the practice. Speaker Oboth treated the complaint with urgency, describing it as a serious matter affecting the entire country, inviting the State Minister for Education and Sports Hon. Peter Ogwang