Parents keep children home to protest poor state of Sheema School

The school was founded by the church in 1982 and was taken over by the government in 2003.

Benon Natwijuka the headteacher says the state of the school is so worrying that some of the parents have decided to keep their children at home because of the poor classroom structures.

He says before the lockdown, the school had an enrollment of more than 400 pupils, however, he says the numbers could reduce. According to Natwijuka, the parents fear because they think the lives of their children are at risk.

Alex Katwaza the chairman school management committee says since 2003 when the school was taken up by the government, no new structure has been constructed.

Samuel Rutimbirayo, an old boy of the school says the current structures were constructed by parents and pupils after one of their temporary structures was blown by the wind in 2003.

He says the money was raised through the Parents Teachers Association(PTA) and each parent was paying 40,000 shillings each for the construction of a temporary structure.

Nelson Karuhanga the district councilor of Kasana Sub County says the district council is aware of the challenges faced by the school and is working to ensure that the government constructs permanent structures.

Jemima Buhanda the Chairperson LCV says it is not only Kyeihara Integrated Primary School that is in a sorry state but rather the district has changed its plan to have all schools in dilapidated state worked on.

The school currently has only two permanent structures that are occupied by primary seven, six, and five whereas the temporary buildings are used by the lower classes.