Moroto schools struggle to attract learners

Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Schools in Moroto district are struggling to attract learners despite an ongoing campaign to rally children to go back to school.

The schools have registered a low turn-up of learners during the first week of school for the new academic year that opened on February 6. It is suspected that many of the learners are still trapped in kraals, and mining sites while others are being threatened by insecurity.

Nadunget Primary School usually enrols over 1000 learners only had 80 pupils when our reporter visited the schools on Friday afternoon, while Naitakwae Primary School had 300 out of 1,000 and Moroto Parents Secondary School had 10 learners out of 400 expected to be enrolled.

Stephen Okello, the head teacher of Nadunget Primary School said that insecurity is one of the factors pushing school enrollment down because some families have fled their homes in search of protection somewhere else. He however added that a week before the new term started, they held a meeting with the parents to discuss how best they can convince their children to report back to school.

He also revealed that the school has been forced to maintain the fee structure in order to attract the learners despite the tight budget but all in vain.

Halima Cheruto, the headteacher at Naitakwae Primary School noted that the late delivery of food from the World Food Program might have also contributed to the low turn-up. Cheruto said that many pupils have registered but many of them have gone back home because there was no food in school.

‘’Children here only come to school when there is food, when we opened on Monday only a few had come just to study the situation if there was food,”’ Cheruto explained. But she hastened to add that they have now received the food from the World Food Program.

Moses Obura, the headteacher of Moroto Parents Secondary School said they are also experiencing the same challenges as students report to school as and when they wish. However, Obura said they expected an increase in learner numbers this year because the school has put in more developments to attract learners.

Obura noted that although the school has registered over 100 students for senior one, they are sceptical if other classes will be able to return back fully.

Joseph Pulkol, the LCIII chairperson for Tapac Sub County attributed the low turn-up of learners in schools to the current insecurity in the region. Pulkol said three schools in his sub-county have totally failed to attract learners and their back-to-school campaigns were frustrated by the resurgence of insecurity.

However, Moroto Deputy Resident District Commissioner Justin Tuko, told URN that they have embarked on campaigns around the mining sites, kraals and in the community to ensure that all learners return to school. Tuko said the district authorities are also mooting for bylaws that will see parents who are still keeping their school-going children from home arrested.

Tuko noted that they are taking the matter seriously because they have realized that the parents are not willing to take their children back to school and therefore some force should be applied.

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