Education CS Julius Ogamba clarification on school Hours Directive

Education CS Julius Ogamba while appearing before the National Assembly on 19 August 2026 clarified official school hours for day public and private basic education institutions under Regulation 84 of the Basic Education Regulations, 2015.

Key points from his statement:

Earliest permissible reporting time: No day institution may require learners to report earlier than 7:15 a.m. This is the earliest allowed arrival time and not a mandatory reporting time. Learners may arrive earlier voluntarily, but schools cannot demand it.

Official class/instruction hours: 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Co-curricular activities: 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

These rules apply to both public and private day schools. The distinction is important: arriving at 7:15 a.m. is for settling in; formal classroom teaching starts at 8:00 a.m.

This reaffirms existing regulations amid concerns that some schools were forcing learners to report as early as 5–6 a.m. (or earlier) for remedial classes or other activities, raising safety and welfare issues. Similar reminders and warnings about early reporting have been issued previously (including in late 2025).

Note: Boarding schools follow different routines outside classroom hours (e.g., supervised activities, prep, bedtime), but classroom instruction still generally runs 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.