The Ministry of Education and Sports has suspended all school trips and educational excursions across the country with immediate effect.
The emergency directive follows a catastrophic school bus crash in Kapchorwa District that has now claimed 21 lives.
Acting Education Minister John Chrysostom Muyingo issued the absolute ban on Friday.
The directive comes one day after a bus belonging to King David Junior School crashed while returning from an educational tour to Sipi Falls.
Police confirmed that the death toll includes 20 pupils and one adult.
Several other pupils and adults remain hospitalized with severe injuries at Kaserem Health Centre IV, Kapchorwa General Hospital, and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.
Muyingo stated that the suspension will remain in force until further notice.
The ministry will utilize the shutdown period to undertake a comprehensive review of the policy governing school trips to strengthen learner safety.
Officials noted that the swift policy intervention follows a series of recent fatal road crashes involving school children.
The ministry extended deep condolences to the bereaved families and wished the hospitalized survivors a speedy recovery.
As part of the emergency review, the Permanent Secretary must immediately reassess the existing school transit guidelines.
The ministry directed the technical team to heavily strengthen the enforcement of all safety requirements before any outdoor school activities can resume.
Administrators received strict warnings to adhere to core safety measures including mandatory risk assessments and official approvals.
The guidelines also require explicit parental consent, the total avoidance of overnight travel, and adequate teacher-to-learner supervision ratios.
Furthermore, the ministry is collaborating with the Uganda Police Force and the Ministry of Works and Transport to investigate the disaster.
The joint inter-agency probe aims to establish the exact cause of the crash and implement permanent preventive measures.
Meanwhile, police traffic investigators are continuing their fieldwork at the crash site in Chekwatit Village, Kawowo Sub-county.
The bodies of the deceased victims remain at the Kapchorwa Mortuary pending formal identification and postmortem examinations.
