Education Stakeholders Renew Call to End Violence in Schools

16 July 2026, 2:18 pm

By Nassanga and Nakato

Education experts, government officials, school leaders, civil society organisations, learners and media practitioners have renewed calls for stronger efforts to eliminate violence against children in schools, warning that abuse continues to deny many learners their right to education.

The appeal was made during the National Good School Symposium organised by Raising Voices at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala under the theme of sustaining violence prevention efforts in schools. The symposium brought together stakeholders to share experiences and strategies for creating safer learning environments.Speaking at the symposium, Eddy Joshua Walakira, a researcher and educationist at Makerere University, said violence remains deeply rooted in Ugandan schools despite ongoing interventions. He cited research showing that one in four learners in Uganda misses school because of violence, with corporal punishment, emotional abuse and bullying being the most common forms.Walakira noted that sexual violence, although less common, disproportionately affects girls, while some boys are also victims. He added that violence comes not only from fellow learners but also from teachers, with devastating effects on children’s academic performance, emotional wellbeing and overall development.He urged schools to transform their culture by abandoning the belief that beating children improves academic performance. Instead, he called for positive discipline approaches that focus on dialogue, guidance and non-violent corrective measures while holding perpetrators accountable.Walakira also challenged schools to address the underlying causes of poor academic performance rather than resorting to corporal punishment, saying factors such as hunger, difficult learning environments and ineffective teaching should be considered before disciplining learners.Hassan Mulusi, Technical Advisor on Violence Against Children at Raising Voices, said the symposium was the organisation’s first national platform bringing together schools that have implemented the Good School Toolkit over the past two decades to exchange experiences, lessons and best practices.Mulusi said the toolkit provides practical guidance for schools, teachers, learners and parents on preventing violence by establishing school committees, developing action plans and strengthening child protection structures.He noted that children continue to experience multiple forms of violence, including physical, emotional, sexual and economic violence. He said cases of sexual abuse by teachers remain a concern in some primary schools, while peer-to-peer sexual violence is more common in secondary schools.

He also highlighted child labour, neglect and denial of school fees and scholastic materials as forms of violence that continue to affect learners.Mulusi said the Good School Toolkit, developed in 2009 and tested between 2012 and 2014 before nationwide rollout, remains freely available to schools and communities seeking to strengthen violence prevention efforts.Participants at the symposium reaffirmed the need for continued collaboration among government, schools, civil society, parents and the media to sustain efforts aimed at making schools safer and more supportive for every child.