I write this with a heavy heart – one that aches not only as a mother but as a Ugandan deeply concerned for the soul of our nation.
Last week, the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports banned extravagant school activities, including prom parties, and mandated an end to displays of wealth like hiring luxury vehicles or helicopters.
This ban, outlined in a circular dated May 16, 2025, and signed by Permanent Secretary Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, aims to address concerns about inequality and focus on education. The ministry also banned camping and family parties on school premises.
I support the ministry although I had hoped that it would ban prom parties for good. What I have witnessed in the name of “Prom” leaves me deeply disturbed. Once a modest celebration, this event has morphed into a troubling display of misplaced priorities and moral erosion, all under the watchful eyes of our schools and with the full support of many parents.
Yes, times have changed. We live in a more liberal world. But at what cost? What exactly does a school seek to achieve by hosting a prom that encourages children to show up with extravagant hairstyles, makeup artists on standby, and stylists flooding school premises as if it were a fashion expo?
Worse still, we now have three-phase proms – complete with multiple outfit changes. Parents are expected to fund these wardrobe transformations, all while our children suffer silently through the emotional and mental strain that comes with social comparison, peer pressure, and unrealistic expectations.
And what of the infamous “brunch” portion of the prom, where the theme is swimming and students are told to appear in swimwear? How have we come to normalize such levels of exposure and vulnerability among teenagers within the very institutions meant to protect and guide them? What values are we instilling?
The pairing of students for “promposals,” complete with red carpet walks, further fuels this troubling trend. Girls wait anxiously to be chosen by boys, while the rest look on in silent judgment. Walking alone or even with another girl has become “awkward.” What kind of social hierarchy are we teaching our daughters? Why must their worth be affirmed through a boy’s public proposal?
Let’s not sugarcoat it: what is being encouraged is not confidence or growth, it is promiscuity. And here lies the deeper wound: we parents have become active enablers of this madness. We bankroll it. We endorse it. We cheer it on. Some of us even push our daughters to attend these events despite their hesitations, convincing ourselves that it’s “harmless fun” and creates memories
What went wrong?
When did we as a society decide that moral decline was an acceptable byproduct of modernity? Where are our schools headed? If we continue on this path, it may soon be “acceptable” for boys and girls to share dormitories in the name of progress and modernity.
I appeal to you, Maama Janet, our First Lady and Minister of Education, and Mrs. Kedrace Turyagyenda, who have courageously spoken out before. Just as cars and helicopters have been banned from school functions, I implore you to take an even bolder step: ban the prom culture altogether. What is disguised as a glamorous evening is, in truth, a breeding ground for values that run contrary to the moral fabric we once held dear.
While schools might view these events as opportunities to generate income or build a reputation, they are doing so at the expense of our children’s mental health, emotional well-being, and moral development.
And yet even as I speak out, I feel powerless. This is the pace the world has set. To push back is to be labelled “conservative,” “rigid,” or “unloving.” But I choose to retreat to the Closet and cry to my Father in Heaven for deliverance for my children, for yours, and for this nation.
Social events are not inherently bad. They have always existed. But the way they are conducted today is deeply alarming.
Oh, Uganda, our motherland. Oh, our children. It hurts. It pains. It disgusts.
Let us rise from our slumber and take back the values that once defined us.
A Concerned Mother
Great. I have been wondering why you build up a nation or a home through hardship and you want to raise in soft children. You forget what had made you get to the level where you are and what will happen when your out of this world. Self engineering is a true character and characters are built by parents and neighbors but now we have all tend to nurture in small compounds with solid gates then the out comes are corrupt and substandard results in the world. Lastly, learning from home is a mother of schools to your child is a book that was written by one successful educationist in this country Mr Fagil Musa Mandy. Let’s read it if we have lost consciousness of parenting.
We all went to school to prepare for the unknown future in our lives. Build formidable resilience and strong esteem to face the unknown in the future.
This is a typical sign parental failure and societal failure on moral support.
Government should come up strongly against this bad practice to secure the future of our national morals and values
I agree with the writer totally especially on the part of promposals…the modest children who don’t entertain such nonsense are viewed as if they are of a lower value. A lower social class if you will. Cancel prom parties altogether. There are way more important issues to deal with, for us parents and for the students as well.