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By Our Reporter
Rubirizi - The Rubirizi District Education Department has closed 15 private primary schools for operating without valid licenses and failing to meet the minimum health, safety, and staffing requirements.
The closures, carried out on Thursday, June 5, 2025, followed a comprehensive inspection by district education officials and form part of a nationwide government crackdown on substandard educational institutions.
Among the schools shut down are Hill Top Primary School, Starlight Primary School, St. Hellen's, Bright Stars, Good Shepherd, Mother Care, Good Hope Junior School, Parental Care, as well as St. Alphonse Nursery and Primary School, Devine Mercy Nursery School, and Nyandongo Full Gospel Primary School. “These schools were operating in violation of the Basic Requirements and Minimum Standards for educational institutions,” said Mary Kyomugisha, the Rubirizi District Inspector of Schools. “Many lacked even the most basic facilities, from latrines to trained teachers, and posed serious risks to learners.”
Some of the affected schools were reportedly conducting classes in makeshift structures with no clean water, fire safety equipment, or instructional materials. Others had no government-approved licenses to operate.
District Education Officer Steven Biiru Warufu emphasized that school proprietors had been warned in advance and given sufficient time to make necessary improvements.
“We informed school heads before the second term opened. Those who didn’t attend our meetings or ignored the warnings have only themselves to blame,” Warufu said.
He clarified that the move was not intended to undermine private education but rather to safeguard children’s rights to a safe and quality learning environment.
Warufu urged parents to enroll their children in licensed institutions as affected schools work toward compliance.
Torch Media Africa
