The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister of State for Education, Joyce Moriku has reassured Members of Parliament that government has developed a statutory instrument to regulate school fees and other school related matters.
She was responding to a matter of national importance raised by Samuel Opio, Kole North County MP during plenary sitting on 16 August 2022.
The MP who was concerned about the plan by schools to increase fees, called for government intervention.
“The schools’ conference is planning to increase school fees in the third term as a result of increased prices of essential commodities. Earlier on, we had that there were plans to lay statutory instruments to regulate school fees,” he said.
He warned that increasing school fees will further affect the enrolment of learners, which is already very low.
“Government should come up with measures to enhance secondary school education in the country. As we speak right now, only 27.3 per cent are enrolled,” said Opio.
Moriku said that the statutory instrument is ready and it is being reviewed by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
“In the meantime, there are procedures in the ministry for any school to increase fees and this is done through the boards of governor and the school management committees,” she said.
She added that ’the issue is real and increment is real but as a ministry, we are already taking measures to ensure that fees are within the framework for parents as approved by boards or school management committees’.
Tororo District Woman MP, Sarah Opendi however, urged the Committee on Education to expedite presentation of a report on financing of government aided schools.
“I brought a motion here in February and the matter was referred to the Committee on Education. It is high time this Parliament sat and agreed. We would rather stop grant aiding these schools and send the money to seed schools,” she said.
*****
SOURCE: UGANDA PARLIAMENT MEDIA
I am interested in the fees structure of schools from upcountry:
I recall the complaints about the fees paid in schools within a radius of 50 km from Kampala
I recall the feeling we had on joining the University
We came from Arua, Fortportal, Gulu, Hoima,Jinja, Kabale, Lira, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Mbale , Soroti, Tororo etc
We had sat the East African Advanced Certificate of Edication and qualified to join the University
For some it was the first time to come to Kampala and the University Bus was at hand to pick; from the train station, Bus park and Taxi park
It is true some schools are great, but not all of us went to such schools and yet the grades from the other schools were comparable.
It is natural for all of us to struggle for the big schools. But the complaints seem to be informed by weaknesses in the system
In those days the districts had a bursary scheme, so a poor student admitted to the big school would get to his/ her school of choice
So what happened?
Schools that have lots of engagements have to maintain them at a cost, some one has to.meet that expense. Will the fees structure solve that problem or these have to be down graded?
Whatever the outcome
We have not found students from other schools to be at a disadvantage as long as they qualify for a course at the University. It will be prudent to rehabilitate all the schools and restore them to a status where all regions generate the triple As (AAA) in both Science and Arts subjects
I also hope that some feel the pain of the psychological problems of students from average families who find themselves in schools where the majority are different; you will spend at the Psychologist consultation
Not surprised that some come out so bitter and subsequently concentrate at getting even
Indeed it is concentrating at a place, and generating a critical mass that believe in something
But what is at stake is not the buildings, or the teachers or the location, such that the units appear to be the ones where all of us want to go
It is the failure to review what made all the others attractive, to an extent that students could choose a school far away from home, in any region of the country, but six years down the road, they met in the same Faculty to pursue the same course at the University.
These other schools produced many people that have positive impact on this country, they served on merit
Instead of influencing the cost of maintaining certain practice, why not bench mark and strive to grow. Why not facilitate those who qualify to attend such institutions to enable them achieve their wish
A school with all requirements placed in respective laboratories ( Biology, Physics and Chemistry) for science practicals, in the 1970s, Needless to mention Home Economics( cookery, needle work) Fine Art ,Typing, Oral english; should not have old students looking else where. We should struggle to restore what it used to be