Many Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres, including nursery schools and kindergartens across the country, had enthusiastically embraced tablets, interactive TVs, and digital smart boards, weaving them into daily lessons for toddlers as young as three years old.
Now, the Ministry of Education and Sports, through the newly launched ECCE Policy, standards, and guidelines, is imposing strict limits on children’s exposure to ICT and digital gadgets, prioritising play-based learning and healthy development over early tech immersion.
The guidelines, part of the comprehensive ECCE Policy 2025 unveiled last week, explicitly restrict screen time in a bid to safeguard young brains.
The policy also warns against “deeply intrusive” technologies such as Augmented Virtual Reality, citing risks of addiction and disruption to brain development.
In recent years, a growing number of private and some publicly linked nursery schools invested heavily in modern technology.
Dr. Hajat Safinah Mutumba, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at the Ministry of Education and Sports, explains that the restrictions on digital tools for young children stem from the fact that their senses and brains are still developing.
Excessive exposure to screens and over-reliance on digital devices can lead to cognitive problems.
Dr Mutumba added that the policy aims to ensure children develop a broad range of competencies, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and other essential skills, which may not develop properly if learners become overly dependent on digital tools. Petronilla Nakabuubi, the Head teacher of Kampala Kindergarten, has backed the Ministry’s policy restricting digital tools in early childhood education, saying it places the right focus on foundational skills built through real-world experiences rather than early screen exposure.
By URN
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