Diocesan Education Coordinators calls for gov’t support for poor schools.

Amos Tayebwa

Mbarara

Diocesan Education Coordinators (DEC) from the 37 Dioceses of Uganda alongside the Heads of Schools under the foundation of Ankole Diocese have pleaded for government support to improve the status of the poor schools.

Ankole Diocese has been blessed to host the 37 Diocesan Education Coordinators who camped in this Diocese for about three days on a benchmarking trip or mission specifically to monitor and inspect education services in this area. During the inspections, it was realized that some of the schools in this diocese are doing better as far as academic performances are concerned.

However, it was also found that there is a lack of Government support whereby some of the schools do have not got enough structure to accommodate the population of the School Learners and the staff.

A team that was headed by Rev. Dr. Grace Paul Kakoza, the Director of Church of Uganda Education Services was able to move around Ankole Diocese where they monitored and inspected about six schools that include three Secondary schools, two Primary Schools, and one Farm Institute. Among the schools that were visited include Mbarara High School, Mbarara Junior Primary School, Kashaka Girls SS, Kakigani Primary School, Rwampara Farm School, and Katanoga Secondary School in Isngiro District. All these are under Ankore Diocese Foundation and Government aided schools.

According to Rev. Dr. Kakoza, he said that they have come to Ankore Diocese as a team of Education coordinators from all the 37 dioceses that make up the province of the church of Uganda. That they have come on a benchmarking trip which they planned during their annual retreat in Luweero this year. He said that Ankole Diocese is a model diocese, particularly in the area of education.

 “When we viewed our strategy mandate we realized that we need to do something, especially on our agenda to develop model schools and in the area of supervision and inspection of schools, so Ankore Diocese has had a good testimony and we came here to see how things are done and how they sponsor their inspectorate department and how they have been about to nature model schools. That’s why we have come here to draw lessons and to see how we can adopt the areas of learning in our different context from the diocese that everybody is coming from” said Rev. Dr. Kakuru.

However,  some of the schools that were visited for example Kakigani Primary School, Katanoga SS, Kashaka Girls, and Rwampara Farm School were lamenting how the government has not fully supported these schools’ structures and other school materials.

Jolly Natukunda, the Head Teacher of Kashaka Girls raised her concern accusing the government that it has not been able to put any infrastructural development in place. On the behalf of the school and on the behalf of the parents, Natukunda pleaded to the government to at least consider and put one extra block, particularly the Science block of the school because they have difficulties in teaching girls science, especially in this world of science era.

She added that Kashaka girls had been partly supported by the Ankore Diocese and the parents. That every structure at Kashaka Girls is the efforts of parents yet the school is also considered a government aided.

Naboth Nuwamanya, the Principal of Rwampara Farm School also revealed that there is still little support from the Government considering the challenge of poor infrastructure in technical and farm schools. He, therefore, pleaded that there is a need for the government to facilitate infrastructural development, and training materials and make education free and compulsory in technical and farm institutes so that all dropouts are stopped to enhance these schools produce graduates who are competent, competitive, and confident to fit in the world of work.

Rev. Draonzi Kaleb, the Education Coordinator Arua Diocese has said that it’s good the government has tried to fund and put some money to support UPE and USE but the problem is that funding is not enough. That if parents were not to make pay extra money, there would a problem in running the schools. He also criticized the politicians who always politicize around discouraging parents from paying the fees in USE and UPE schools when even the government itself has not raised enough money.

According to Ven. Rev. Alfred Tumushabe, the area Archdeacon of Kaberebere and the Vice Chairman of the Board of Katanoga SS has also revealed that Katanoga SS has been in existence for about nine years but it has never got any support from the government apart from the grant for three years ago of paying the teachers. In terms of the infrastructure on the ground, the government has not supported the school. It has been the efforts and contributions of the parents and the diocese of the Ankole Diocese. There is no electricity to support the improvement of this school as far as academic performances are concerned.

Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa of Ankore Diocese has trashed the complaints from the parents and the heads of the schools towards pleading for government support. He said that parents and teachers do not have to wait for government support and that they must put their efforts first for the benefit of the children.

Dr. Mwesigwa added that people have to be sensitized, to change their mindset, people to know that education is a very valuable commodity that is needed to put effort in. That many of the parents, Head Teachers and  Teachers have all relaxed about education.

“I must tell you that the government is often very far from where activities of education are taking place. Therefore if you are a parish priest, you are a lay leader the school is next to you, if things are going wrong you have to know, please be concerned about the education of the young people in their communities. And more related to that, I must emphasize that education is expensive also, therefore it is important that parents are empowered to know that they can support the education of their child. It may not be millions, just whatever little it will be, it will make a difference in the life of the teacher, and in the life of the school because we’ve noticed that UPE and USE, and even when government supports,  there are some things they don’t support, so let’s take the opportunity as parents to support schools and that way it will bring about some good results” said Bishop Mwesigwa.