Parents furious after Mukono school suspends students over holiday misconduct
On Friday, some parents of the suspended students demanded that the disciplinary action against their children be reconsidered, saying the school had not given them or their children a fair hearing before imposing the suspensions.
The school (Mt St Henry’s High School Mukono) based in Mukono district said investigations had established that the learners had engaged in behaviour that "seriously misrepresented the good image and values of the school". (Credit: Henry Nsubuga)
MUKONO - A group of aggrieved parents stormed Mt St Henry’s High School Mukono on Friday after the school indefinitely suspended at least 10 Senior Four students over alleged misconduct during the school break.
The school based in Mukono district said investigations had established that the learners had engaged in behaviour that "seriously misrepresented the good image and values of the school".
The August 3, 2026 suspension letter, signed by headteacher Teopista Nakalembe, said the students reportedly used illegal drugs, shared pornographic videos and organised house parties.
She said the students will be allowed to sit their Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) exams, but under a number of conditions.
They will have to commute from home for every paper and be accompanied by a security officer to and from the exam centre. They will also have to report to the exam room 15 minutes before the start of every paper.
"Before you are permitted to sit the examinations, all outstanding school fees must be cleared, including the day scholars' fees amounting to sh1,290,000," the headteacher said in the letter.
"Failure to comply with the above conditions may result in being denied permission to sit the examinations."
'Are they criminals?'
They argued that the alleged misconduct occurred during the school break and under their parents’ care.
“Having committed the alleged offences during holidays, outside the school premises and not in school uniform, those were cases meant to be handled by us, the parents. I wish the administration had contacted us before making a decision, instead of calling us to pick the children,” said one disgruntled parent.
Some of the parents storm outside the school as a sign of protest for the indefinite suspension of their children. (Credit: Henry Nsubuga)
The parents described the requirement for security escorts as excessive at a time when they are preparing for their final examinations.
“Asking for security escorts for each of the learners- are they criminals?” one asked.
The parents also opposed the demand for sh1.29m in day-scholar fees, arguing that the students will not be attending school during the period of suspension and therefore no need to pay the fees.
'Friends with culprits'
“They asked us to write letters asking for reduction of the punishments of our children, but I see that as unfair. Some of our children did not attend the alleged house parties but they were suspended just because they were friends with the culprits,” one parent said.
The parents also accused the school administration of humiliating the students by making them line up before a school assembly attended by over 2,000 learners.
“They called them ‘dancers of bimansulo’, but they are not. That was bad. The school acted outside the normal administrative procedures,” said another aggrieved parent.
The parents also likened the alleged house parties to a prom party organised by the school for the candidates at the end of the first term.
After hours of waiting outside the school gate, the parents were eventually granted entry to present their grievances.
They said the administration listened to them individually instead of meeting them as a group, despite the fact that they had uniform reasons for protest.
The parents said they were asked to write individual letters seeking a reduction of the disciplinary measures imposed on their children.
When reached for comment, the deputy headteacher, Alfred Kalamya, told New Vision to wait for the outcome of the meeting between the school administration and the parents.
The school director, when contacted on phone for comment, said he was not aware of the developments, explaining that he is not one of the school’s administrators.