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Uganda: Govt Disowns Boarding Primary Schools
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The Monitor (Kampala)
29 April 2008
Posted to the web 29 April 2008
Tabu Butagira and Grace Natabaalo
Kampala
Parents and guardians who have children studying at public boarding primary schools in Uganda have a reason to worry following a declaration by the Ministry of Education that it's not directly liable for their safety and welfare.
Mr Aggrey Kibenge, the ministry Spokesman said yesterday that the government policy is to have all primary schools operate as day-schools and that management of primary schools has already been devolved to districts.
"We [Ministry of Education] have only retained oversight role related to policy formulation while it is the district local governments that implement the guidelines and are responsible for day-to-day operations of primary schools," he said.
This means the Education Ministry now takes a backseat on crucial matters regarding primary education - whether good or horrifying like the April 14 fatal inferno at Budo Junior Primary school that killed 20 pupils.
"Even if we found that the [Budo fire] was a result of negligence of the head teacher or incompetence of the district education officer, neither our Permanent Secretary [Mr Francis Lubanga] nor the minister [Ms Namirembe Bitamazire] can reprimand any of them," Mr Kibenge said.
Under the (amended) 1997 Local Government Act, district authorities have the latitude to recruit and reprimand local civil servants, including those at the education directorate. They also hold the mandate to supervise or close primary schools without reference to officials at the centre.
There have been public complaints that some district officials were in the habits of using this boundless authority to bully and extort bribes from proprietors of private schools whom they then allow to run schools, even in dilapidated structures.
In the November 2001 "Basic Requirements and Minimum standards: Indicators for educational institutions" policy, the Ministry of Education requires formation of safety and security committees for all schools, which must have a fire extinguisher, 20-metre wide fire-free protection zone, a lightning conductor among key installations.
The guidelines that detail lesson preparation and essential licensing requirements is however silent on dormitories, ostensibly because other legislations on health and buildings cover them.
Besides, the government is not in for primary pupils sleeping within the premises. It emerged yesterday that the much-hyped schools inspections that the public expected would expose sub standard institutions would not commence until schools formally open for second term towards the end of next month.
Mr Kibenge said: "We can't carry out the inspections during holidays because we would not be able to ascertain the pressures on the available facilities like classrooms, libraries, dormitories and latrines when they are not in use."
Until then, parents or guardians will have to bank on their personal reconnaissance and intuition to identify worthy boarding primary schools from the hundreds sprouting in the countryside.
Education Minister Namirembe Bitamazire said in an interview on Saturday that there would be no random closures of wanting institutions in order not to disadvantage parents and pupils mid way the school calendar.
"It is not going to be that this and that school is closed and nobody knows where to go," she said adding: "We [education ministry] shall point out the mistakes and ask the school management committees to rectify them."
Meanwhile, parents and alumni of Budo Junior School have suggested that the institution remains closed for the rest of this year.
At a special meeting on Sunday, members were told that up to 180 pupils would not have accommodation if the school re-opened next term since the destruction of Nassolo girl's dormitory in the April 14 inferno that police detectives are treating as arson case.
Ms Bitamazire met with top representatives of Budo Junior school yesterday to decide on whether or not the school should re-open.
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Officials, including Mr Ian Kyeyune, the chairman of Wakiso District declined to disclose the decision they reached saying Ms Bitamazire would give a formal media briefing on it.
Is this government gone array? When I read this article, I am so embarassed to know that we have officials in public offices supposedly more educated and exposed the world over than the majority of the masses but are so incompetent!!!
Do we even need a Ministry of Education? I mean what good is it if it can't set and enforce clear standards. Who licenses these schools? What are the qualifying criteria to become a school, later on aboarding school? Does the idea of requiring schools to have fire exitinguishers as stated by Mr. Kibenge really what mitigating against the... [Read Full Text]
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