St Peter’s Secondary School Naalya is under criticism over allegations that female candidate students were forced out of their dormitories at 3:00 AM immediately after completing their mock examinations, with parents and social media users demanding accountability on the deteriorating student welfare standards.
The issue erupted after lawyer and public commentator Mercy Grace Munduru published an open statement addressed to the school’s official X account, accusing the institution of abandoning the student centred values that once earned it respect.
“I am writing to express my deep disappointment regarding the current state of management at St Peter’s Naalya. A school once respected for being student centred has completely compromised its standards of care,” Munduru said.
She said that girls sitting their candidate examinations were ordered to leave their dormitories at 3:00 AM on their departure day, arguing that exposing students to the cold during the early morning hours was both unsafe and inhumane.
“Forcing young girls out into the cold during the early hours of the morning is unacceptable and raises serious safety concerns,” she said.
Munduru further claimed that the incident followed another welfare concern at the school, where students had allegedly been forced to sleep outside because of a severe mosquito infestation that had not been addressed through fumigation.
“Given the continuous increase in school fees and your stringent payment mechanisms, parents expect a safe, hygienic and humane environment for their children,” she said.
Her post quickly attracted widespread attention, generating thousands of views and prompting an outpouring of reactions from parents, former students and other social media users who questioned the school’s handling of student welfare.
Among those responding was X user Cathy, who said the matter should ideally be addressed with school administrators but questioned the decision to have students leave their dormitories so early.
“Why force kids outside at that time? Even my daughter in another school said they have to be out of dorm by 5am,” she wrote.
In response, Munduru said parents had already exhausted internal channels before taking the matter public.
“This official page is the right place for this discussion. These issues affect more than just one school, requiring broader awareness and regulatory intervention. We have engaged the administration multiple times, yet the problems persist,” she said.
Another user, Onono Isaac Nyeko, criticised those dismissing the concerns, warning that preventable administrative decisions could have devastating consequences.
“God forbid, the day you’ll lose a child due to reckless administration at school, you’ll remember the saying prevention is better than cure,” he wrote.
Munduru echoed those concerns, saying some students were particularly vulnerable to exposure during the early morning hours.
“People’s children have literally died of malaria not so long ago. People’s children have respiratory complications that need them to stay in warm environments,” she said.
The debate has since widened into a broader conversation about welfare standards in Uganda’s boarding schools, with many users calling for stronger oversight of student accommodation, sanitation and departure procedures, especially for candidate classes.
St Peter’s Naalya, a private secondary school in Kyaliwajjala, has built a reputation over the years for strong academic performance and co-curricular excellence. The allegations have nevertheless placed the school’s welfare practices under public scrutiny.
