The government is moving to stop nursery schools and kindergartens from running daycare services as part of a wider effort to fix gaps in early childhood education and improve child safety.
For years, many pre-schools operated both as learning centres and daycare facilities at the same time. Children of all ages—from babies to those ready for school—were kept in the same system, often without clear standards.
Authorities now say this setup blurred the purpose of early education and affected the quality of care and learning.
Under the new Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) policy, the government has introduced a clear separation. Daycare centres will strictly handle children from birth to three years, focusing only on care, safety, and basic life skills like feeding, playing, and social interaction.
Pre-schools, on the other hand, will only take children aged three to six and concentrate on early learning and preparation for primary school.
Officials argue that mixing the two has been part of the reason many children struggle when they join primary school. Some start too late, others repeat classes, and many miss out on proper early development. By separating daycare from pre-school, the government hopes children will follow a more structured path that matches their age and development.
Safety is another major reason behind the change. Many daycare sections in schools have been operating without proper supervision, trained caregivers, or secure facilities.
Recent incidents, including the tragic deaths of toddlers in an unregulated centre in Ggaba, exposed serious risks and pushed authorities to tighten control over who can run daycare services and how they should operate.
The new policy also aims to professionalise the sector. Caregivers and teachers will now be required to have formal training and licenses, and all centres must be registered and meet minimum standards. Facilities that fail to comply risk being shut down.
In addition, daycare centres will no longer be treated like schools. Babies will not wear uniforms or be taught academic content. Instead, these centres will act as safe, temporary spaces for young children while parents are at work, and will mainly be allowed in places like workplaces, markets, and shopping areas.
Overall, the government says the ban is about creating order in a previously loosely regulated system—ensuring children are safe, receive the right care at the right age, and are better prepared for school later on.
