Schools to dig deep to revamp fading gardens

For a country, whose 80 percent of the population is reported to rely on farming as a primary source of livelihood, this was very much a step in the right direction.

For decades, schools incorporated agriculture into their curriculums, teaching learners not only the science behind farming but also practical skills such as crop cultivation, animal husbandry and
sustainable land management.

This was in the 1980s and 1990s when Uganda’s Education ministry championed school-based agriculture as a key part of rural development.

Government-aided schools, often located in areas with large agricultural communities, grew crops such as maize, beans and vegetables in their gardens.

“These gardens became more than just places to grow food. They were living classrooms where students learnt the importance of self-sufficiency, environmental stewardship, and hardwork,” said Mr Willy Gadala, a retired head teacher.

Nowadays, school gardens are conspicuous by their absence. A combination of shifting educational priorities and an overburdened curriculum saw them go up in smoke.

“The impact is especially visible in rural areas where agriculture once played
a central role in learner’s lives,” Mr Gadala told Monitor.

Schools formerly used their gardens for practical agriculture lessons for the lower classes. Learners are taught how to plant, weed and harvest crops.

From Primary Five to Seven, the learners would participate in all the gardening under the supervision of a science teacher.

“The garden is our laboratory for agriculture,” Mr Eriya Poli, a science teacher, says.

During a mid-morning break, Primary Seven pupils could be found in the garden, pulling up grass and weeds.

“I used to like what we learn in the science classes,” Mr Moses Taika reminisced with a beam, adding,

“We used to work in groups and then retire back to class.”

Lost glory

The school gardens were hailed for their ability to connect learners with nature, teach responsibility, and foster a deeper understanding of where food comes from.

For many, the garden was more than just a plot of land—it was a hands-on classroom where lessons came alive.

From planting seeds to harvesting crops, learners were not only learning academic content but also acquiring life skills like teamwork.

“This trend has contributed to a generational disconnect between children and the land. The disappearance of school gardens has stripped away a crucial learning opportunity for a young-
er generation that will inherit the challenges of climate change,and food security,” Mr Taika told Monitor.

He explained that there’s another, more philosophical shift at play. As educational priorities have evolved, schools have moved away from a holistic model of education—one that values practical, experiential learning—in favour of a narrower, test-focused approach.

“The emphasis on standardised testing and academic achievement has led to a narrowing of curricula, where creative, physical activity, and non-academic pursuits like gardening are seen as distractions from the ‘real’ work of education,” he said.

He added: “But in the process, we have lost something valuable. School gardens were one of the few places where learners could learn without a test hanging over their heads.

Light at end of tunnel?
Ms Khanifa Mugala, a senior education officer, said despite all these challenges, there are efforts to bring school gardens back to life.

“We are advocating for the revamping of school gardening into schools, arguing that the benefits—ranging from improved nutrition and enhanced academic performance—are immense,” she said, adding, “School gardens helped ease the burden on families by supplementing school feeding pro-
grammes, offering direct, tangible benefit to both learners and their families.”

Ms Josephine Kanyi, the Butebo District Education officer (DEO), said thedepartment is compelling all head teachers to revamp the programmes in their respective schools.

Ms Kanyi expressed concern and attributed the decline in the school gardening programmes to lack of land.

“This time round, we are going to be so hard on the schools that will not comply to have these activities implemented in their schools. We are also encouraging foundation bodies to support these initiatives,” Ms Kanyi said. 

Adding, “We still have some schools with demonstration gardens. This programme has been in existence for decades but somehow lost the trend.”

She explained that the harvest yielded from the school gardens played a vital role in providing a balanced diet while imparting learners with practical skills.

Butebo District has 31 government-aided primary schools. Mr Arthur Wako Mboizi, the Budaka County lawmaker, said the endless readjustments in the curriculum are to blame for the current state of affairs.

The lawmaker also pointed out that most of the maize that learners used to cultivate was stolen and sold by teachers and this created disunity among the community, learners and the school management committees.

“The entire programme started to lose meaning after it was discovered that head teachers were taking the maize to feed their families, and relatives instead of the intended learners” he said.

“The programme could provide learners with holistic skills and improved academic performance compared to today. Just compare grades of the past and of now.”

Work cut out
Mr Paul Higenyi, the Budaka DEO, said all schools are mandated to carry out school gardening as per the guidelines, but “it’s unfortunate that [head teachers] have not taken the programme seriously. We shall on a serious note compel them to have these activities running in their respective schools,” Mr Higenyi further revealed that “some school administrators have turned out to be so reluctant to implement the
programme.”

He did not shy away from the fact that most schools have no land to practice school gardening. It is, he confessed,“a serious challenge.”

Mr Patrick Wako, the District Inspector of Schools (DIS), faulted the headteachers and staff for taking over all the school land for their own business.

“The teachers have cultivated all the land at the expense of learners, not knowing that school gardening is part of the activity on the school timetable. In their wisdom, they decided to scrap off the component, but we want it reinstated,” Mr Wako said, adding, “It’s an important activity because it gives holistic practical skills [...] it was mismanaged by the school administrators to the extent of stealing school hoes.”

Among the 59 government-aided primary schools under Mr Wako’s care, only Nanzala Primary School is implementing the programme.

“The programme should be embraced by all stakeholders to reduce the burden of feeding policy at schools because schools would be having their own food,”Mr Wako explained.

History
Mr Eriya Poli said the school gardening programme started to phase out in 1997 during the advent of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme.

“The programme came with stringent guidelines not to let children work in these gardens. No child labour, which complicated the school programme of gardening,” Mr Poli, who runs point on the Budaka Family Helper Project, explained.

He added: “The programme with immediate effect will commence this year. All preparations have been completed. All teachers who have been utilising school land have been advised to vacate
beginning this February.”

The programme gives life skills to the learners in areas of crop husbandry. The project Mr Poli superintends over will start with maize, beans, sweet potatoes, eggplant and tomatoes.

“The learners will be able to acquire a balanced diet because of the variety of vegetables available. This will also solve the land conflicts amongst teacher who have been fighting for the school land,” he said.

Mr Christopher Wamika, the Kibuku DEO, told Monitor that the biggest challenge that has handi-
capped the school gardening policy is limited land.

“Most of the land that was donated by the church has instead been taken back. This stands to be a serious challenge. Some schools have remained with just a small piece of land,” Mr Wamika said.

Mr Fred Muduko, the head teacher of Kamonkoli Mixed Primary School, said thus: “There is a total scarcity of land to implement this activity. But I have tasked teachers to prepare and vacate
for this noble cause.”

Mr Patrick Duchu, the Pallisa District chairperson, faulted teachers for putting their self-interests first.

“The teachers have allocated large portions of land to themselves without considering the learners,” he said.