The government must set and enforce logical age for school-going children

It is unfortunate that in Uganda, we do not adhere to a standard age at which a child is supposed to begin school or join boarding section. This means parents exercise discretion as and when to take their child to school. My view is that a child who is above five years is more than ready for school but you find children as young as three years in boarding nursery schools.

Children need to be emotionally and socially mature to ably cope with change and handle demands of a school situation. This should be at a stage where the child will not cry when left at school and in addition, the child should be able to do things independently, listen and follow instructions and rules, be responsible for their belongings and behaviour and seek help where necessary. Many times children have died in fires while at school and drowned in swimming pools simply because they lack the necessary skills to make proper judgment given their tender age.

Children who are ready for school are more likely to succeed than those who struggle and have difficulty keeping up with their peers. Older children can control themselves in conflict situations that are part of the normal school life and also behave in ways that do not disturb or hurt others. This enables them manage personal care and even without strict supervision of the child, he or she can handle simple roles without much help.

In my view, a minimum age for school-going children should be set and enforced so that the child does not lose interest in education at an early age. A child’s phase of development involves exploiting his or her interests through playing at home. By the time such a child starts pre-primary or primary school, the body is physically and emotionally ready. Also, the child will not be burdened with the heavy workload in form of home work that are usually given daily and in regard to different subject areas.

Our current education system does not give children enough time to rest, which is dangerous to their health, more so during their formative years. In many homes, parents wake up very early to get their children ready to be picked by school vans as early as 6am! This implies that the children are up by 5am to get ready for school. By the time they reach the school premises, most of them are fast asleep. This is torture! I urge all parents to be mindful of the age at which they send their children to school.

Brian Kisomose,
Makerere University