Opening of Seed School delays, learners in Masaka back to fishing

Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Learners in Bukakata Sub County have returned to fishing following the delayed opening of a government seed school in Masaka district.

They are engaged in different fishing activities on the landing sites of Kaziru, Lambu, Kachanga, and Nansere located in Bukatata sub-county, Masaka due to lack of a nearby secondary school.

In 2019, the government through a loan from the World Bank undertook to construct a Seed School at Sh2.21 billion at Bunaddu village in Bukakata Sub County.

The school which according to its construction schedule was expected to start operating in February 2021 has despite its completion remained closed, leaving hundreds of students stranded at home.

John Bosco Nyanzi, the LCI Chairperson of Bunaddu says the children have turned to the lake to engage in fishing and other casual works because they have no alternative, following the sale of the sole private secondary school which was operating in the area.

He says parents in the three parishes of Ssunga, Bukobonga, and Bunaddu, were all counting on enrolling their post-primary children to the new government seed school that has however failed to open leaving them stuck.

He says that many parents in the area can’t afford to support their children in boarding schools that are outside their locality, hence leaving the student around until they get a nearby school to admit them.

Aloysius Jjuuko, the Bukakata sub-county Chairperson says the absence of an operational secondary school has left many students in the area to continue roaming in communities and as a result, they have turned back to the lakes for fishing and other casual jobs such as drying of silverfish.

He says that they have also seen a number of boys seeking other informal skills training in garages for bicycle and motorcycle repairs, while the girls are resorting to hairdressing in the nearby trading centers.

Jjuuko has called upon the government to quickly open the seed school such that the children can also resume studying, to save the area a generation of many school dropouts.

Teopista Lule Ssenkungo, the Masaka Resident District Commissioner says that government is aware of the problem, and they working on modalities of opening the school anytime this month.

Ssenkungo says that the Seed school was not ready with all the supplies required to support learning at the time when the other schools reopened. He however says that contractors are doing their final touches and the structures will be handed over soon for utilization.

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