Nakaseke parents, leaders on panic over planned withdraw of teachers

Nakaseke, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There is panic among parents and leaders following a decision by Nakaseke district Authorities to withdraw teachers that they had deployed in community schools.

The affected community schools are Bwerampindi, Mityomere, Ngando, Lukumbi, Kimotozi, Natigi, Bulyamusenyu, Butalangu, Keshande, Sekabusolo and Kirangazi primary schools.

They were constructed by Save the Children, Building for Tomorrow and Rosemary Namayanja Foundation, to extend education services to hard-to-reach areas, and subsequently handed over to Nakaseke District.

But the district asked the Ministry of Education and Sports for codes and funding in vain. As a result, the district posted over 30 teachers from existing Universal Primary Education Schools to the community schools while waiting for the government to take over and fund the schools.

But Nakaseke District Chairman Ignatius Koomu said that the Ministry of Public Service has queried the deployment of government teachers in community schools and directed them to revert to old stations before the next financial year 2024/25.

Koomu said that to avoid audit queries and scrapping the teachers from the payroll, the district has resolved to withdraw the teachers from the community schools until the Ministry of Education and Sports takes them over.

While speaking at the graduation ceremony for 120 students trained under the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) programme sponsored by the Rose Namayanja Foundation held at Nakaseke International College playground, Koomu asked the Minister for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo to intervene in the matter.

Samuel Lwanga, a parent at Sekabusolo Primary School fears that the withdrawal of teachers will be a major blow to the already struggling schools. He adds that as a result of the move, some of the schools may close, forcing learners to drop out.

Lwanga explained the school asked the parents to pay 30,000 Shillings for lunch per pupil and cater for salaries of private teachers but this failed over poverty.

Rosemary Namayanja, the Deputy Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement said that although the Ministry of Education had tried to construct schools in the district, 11 parishes remain with no single government school, contrary to government policy.

Namayanja observed a need to ensure the schools that were constructed through her foundation and other organizations are coded by the Ministry to help bridge the education gap in the community.

State Minister for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo applauded Namayanja through her foundation for her significant contribution to the education sector in the district by sponsoring students to acquire skills under the DIT programme.

Muyingo said he had taken note of the fate of 11 community schools and promised to follow up on the matter with the ministry to ensure they are coded before they get grants. He passed out 120 graduates trained and acquired certificates in bakery, bricklaying, motor vehicle engineering, tailoring and cooking among other courses.

Through her foundation, Namayanja is also sponsoring over 160 learners in primary, secondary and universities to acquire education.

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