Will govt’s ban on lavish school proms hold?

Whereas the new guidelines aim to regulate entertainment events in schools, co-curricular activities and tours as well as the election of student leaders, there are several enforcement loopholes in clauses that overreach and infringe on several human rights, in particular the freedoms of assembly and association.

Based on previously failed directives regarding student admissions and non-publicization of top performers, it remains to be seen whether the Education ministry will hold true to its word.

A few weeks ago, The Observer published a story that exposed how several secondary schools create classes amongst learners as they mint hundreds of millions of shillings through glamorous student proms. A few decades ago, such a prom was a basic formal dance party for candidate [O and A-level) students.

In recent years, however, proms have been blown up to become characterized as shows of eloquence, wealth and class. Such proms are most frequent in private schools where government has a limited influence in operations.

The Observer cited the case of Seeta High School, which held its annual prom from May 9 to May 10. For this event, learners reportedly forked out Shs 400,000 for the cheapest ticket and there were several other opulent tiers, including titles such as ‘Prom President’, which commanded a whopping Shs 10 million.

Whereas Davis Kafumbe, the school principal downplayed the attendance fee to Shs 280,000, the figure remains astronomical. So, with more than 1,500 learners at its four different campuses, it is estimated that Seeta High School raked in revenue of more than Shs 700m for the two-day event.

The story elicited outrage on social media, with several parents, commentators and education experts condemning the prioritisation of prestige at the expense of academic excellence and school welfare.

Seeta High School, which ironically is owned by Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo, the Higher Education state minister, is just one of the trendy schools on social media, renowned for holding extremely extravagant proms.

At Elite High School in Entebbe, learners go to extreme lengths of showing off financial might by hiring choppers and limousines. On this background and the ever-growing public and stakeholder condemnation, the Education ministry reacted by issuing new tough guidelines for safe conduct of entertainment and co-curricular activities on May 16.

Dr Kedrace Turyagyenda, the Education ministry permanent secretary, says the guidelines will regulate entertainment events in schools, co-curricular activities and school tours as well as the election of student leaders.

Key highlights from the guidelines make school head teachers or principals culpable for failure to adhere to the guidelines. What’s more, all externally-organised entertainment activities for secondary schools and higher institutions of learning will require approval of the permanent secretary, on top of mandating every school/institution to establish a vetting committee to assess the content, participants, and logistics of proposed activities before granting approval.

What’s clear and obvious in the 29-page document is the stemming of extravagant spending, classification of learners as well as the need to protect the moral and ethical well-being of learners. It can also be seen as a way of creating a level field among the traditional schools, elite private schools and the government-aided UCE and USE schools.

It is worth noting that traditional academic giants such as King’s College Budo, St Mary’s College Kisubi, Gayaza High School and Mengo SS nowadays hold proms in form of lowkey ‘dedications’ without any pomp.

At these events, students interact directly with school management and parents to foster an atmosphere inspiration for the learners without any hullaballoo about class or financial might. Turyagyenda, who admits that previous interventions such as the issuance of circulars aimed at improving the conduct of entertainment and co-curricular activities in education institutions have had limited effect, says the new guidelines will address the increasing need for structured, safe and morally-guided entertainment and co-curricular activities in Ugandan educational institutions.

“The objectives of these guidelines are to provide a balanced, safe and enriching environment where learners can enjoy extracurricular and co-curricular activities, supported by effective guidance and supervision for promoting positive engagement among learners, parents, and teachers. These guidelines aim to enhance student well-being and uphold legal and ethical standards while nurturing a culture of participation and responsible enjoyment,” she reasons.

IS THE DIRECTIVE ENFORCEABLE?

However, in spite of its strongly-worded language, there appears several loopholes, regulations and orders that may be impossible to implement. In fact, some clauses are overreaching and infringe on several human rights, in particular the freedoms of assembly and association.

Also, going by the ministry’s recent defective directives, it is highly improbable the guidelines will be followed to the letter. In 2022, the ministry issued a directive ordering schools to prioritize merit during selections for admissions.

The aim was to ensure fairness and transparency in the allocation of students to schools. It meant that students would be admitted based on their academic performance but several top schools continue to flout the admission process.

Early this year, the ministry also banned the display of top performers in the media but the practice continues unabated.

INSIGHT

Turyagyenda notes that it has become increasingly apparent that social media and learners’ easy access to global media content are influencing the types, content and management of co-curricular activities in many schools.

“If unmitigated, this influence has the potential for unintended negative consequences, endangering the safety and wellbeing of our learners, in addition to undermining the real benefits of co-curricular activities. The new guidelines mandate every school to establish an extra-curricular committee to guide, review and manage all entertainment and other extracurricular activities in the school/institution.

“The committee shall be chaired by the headteacher/principal…movies, films, dramas, music, and other types of shows and performances shall first be approved by the relevant authorities, such as the National Media Council, the Uganda Communications Commission, and the ministry of Education and Sports before they are considered to be shown in schools,” reads the guidelines.

Meanwhile, it has become trendy of late for learners to promote songs with political innuendos but under the new guidelines, all songs/music to be played or sung during entertainment events in schools shall first be vetted by the school/institution’s entertainment committee.

The ministry’s reasoning is “to avoid obscene and immoral language and messages.” What’s more, by limiting the time of performance entertainment from and within the school to 6pm, it is worth noting that the ministry has also banned any form of school entertainment during school holidays.

This effectively means proms have also been banned during holidays. To further clamp down and curtail the glamorous proms, the new guidelines prohibit showiness and place the burden on the school management to foot the bills in providing all necessary facilities, equipment and resources required for the entertainment event.

“The school shall ensure that no individual vehicles, motorcycles or choppers are hired by students to the school premises during the entertainment events. The school administration shall plan and organize the entertainment events, while ensuring that they do not become a financial burden on parents,” reads the guideline.

“The school administration shall, at all times, forbid the ostentatious display of wealth, opulence and luxury by the learners in schools, including at school entertainment events.”

The ministry shall also ensure that the number of co-curricular activities prescribed in the academic curriculum is reasonable in both quantity and cost. What’s more, encouraging or allowing learners to pair up or make couples during the entertainment events, in imitation of marriage or romantic relationships, is strictly forbidden.

STRICT RULES ON SCHOOL VISITATION DAYS

When it comes to visitation days, new guidelines forbid a school from holding more than one visitation day in a school term and in the planning and programming of visitation days, headteachers of neighbouring schools will have to liaise to avoid inconveniences, in this case traffic jam, caused by having many schools holding visitations on the same day.

Interestingly, to avoid holding visitation days as ‘feasting days,’ the ministry has banned that bringing cooked or otherwise processed food into the school by parents/relatives, camping in the school compound by large groups of families/relatives/friends and/or holding partiesand that not more than four persons may be allowed to enter school on visitation day for the same learner.

By all measures, critics argue that this infringes on a person’s fundamental human rights of association and assembly.

“This is impractical and no school worth its name can abide to such draconian rule,” says Richard Lule, a parent.

“This is discriminatory to large families and makes the school environment seem like a prison setting.”

SCHOOL TOURS AND TRIPS

The new guidelines prohibit nursery or kindergarten learners from undertaking school trips/tours.

“Similarly, lower primary children may undertake school trips/tours only under special circumstances, with maximum caution from school management. The ministry shall provide strict controls on study tours/trips to prevent financial exploitation of parents/guardians,” reads the guidelines.

When it comes to foreign tours and trips, the new guidelines give the ministry mandate to clear any such trips, whether educational or not. This, however, leaves a grey area when it comes to international schools in Uganda.

Lastly, the guidelines provide a roadmap for the election of student leaders in schools. Aiming to eliminate the growing trend of commercialization of student leadership elections in schools, and to promote a culture of ascending to leadership positions on merit, the new guidelines prohibit the hiring of vehicles, music bands or involvement of any external groups during the campaigns including parents/guardians and national political parties.

Yet again, it is obvious that whereas the guidelines are aimed to create a level field for all learners countrywide, the reality on the ground is different and the implementation of the rules is next to impossible, especially when one considers past rulings that have been shelved. Only time will tell.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM NEW GUIDELINES

All externally-organized entertainment and co-curricular activities involving learners must receive prior approval from the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for pre-primary and primary schools and the permanent secretary for post-primary institutions/institutions of higher learning.

Written consent from parents or guardians must be obtained for any off-campus or externally organized activities. Institutions must ensure adequate teacher supervision at all times. All entertainers, motivational speakers, or organizations engaging with learners must be vetted and cleared by the school administration and respective local education authorities.

Activities involving sexualization, indecency, vulgarity, or the exploitation of learners are strictly prohibited and will attract legal consequences. Every institution must establish a vetting committee to assess the content, participants, and logistics of proposed activities before granting approval.

Every institution must establish a students’ leaders election management committee and follow the provisions in the guidelines during the electoral processes of student leaders. Any violation of these guidelines must be reported immediately to the nearest education office. Disciplinary action will be taken against institutions or individuals found culpable.

You guys made mob noise about the Seeta High School prom “entrance fees” but the kidoz still paid and attended.

Moral of the tweet: Twitter noise can’t stop reggae👊🏿pic.twitter.com/r7bSMchmNU

— 🐣🐣 (@Mr_Mugii) May 9, 2025