Schools reopened for the first term on February 6, and are expected to close for holidays on May 5. However, many schools have registered low enrolment.
The development has attracted a number of contingency measures from some schools, including Buwenge Blue Day and Boarding Primary School, Buwenge Town Council in Jinja District, which has allowed its learners to study on credit.
Mr Muzamiru Musembya, the director of the school, said management decided to tell parents facing hardships with fees to bring back their children with school fees balances so that they do not remain at home.
“The parent can get money later and pay, but can’t compensate for the time and knowledge the child misses while staying home; so, we told a few parents to bring their children and we demand fees later,’’ Mr Musembya said in an interview at the weekend.
Ms Mercy Nakibuka, a Primary Six pupil at the school, said the director told her to buy books and she started studying almost a month after the start of the first term because her grandmother had failed to pay fees.
In Karamoja Sub-region, despite efforts by the government to have girls at school, their enrolment has also been hampered as a greater percentage remain out of school due to lack of fees and social beliefs attached to educating girls.
A report conducted in Moroto, Amudat, Napak and Kaabong Districts between August and September 2022, indicates that some communities like Lotisan in Moroto and Nabwal in Napak hardly have any girls in secondary school.
The report conducted by the Tufts University, USAID, and the Embassy of Ireland in collaboration with Karamoja Resilience Support Unit found out that in Amudat District, “over 50 percent” of the girls and 22 percent of the boys are not at school.
In Napak, the report noted that 33 percent of the girls and 38 percent of boys are out of school. The report showed that 15 percent of girls and 10 percent of boys were out of school in Kaabong.
Despite Moroto District being the administrative hub for all interventions in Karamoja Sub-region, the figures remain worrying with 33 percent of the girls and 15 percent of boys being locked out of school.
The report noted that most of the girls and boys remain out of school because they are needed to offer help at home, with findings further indicating that as girls grow, the list of domestic tasks grows, including caring for younger children, preparing food, gathering firewood or charcoal and fetching water.
Mr Daniel Omaya, the Head of Networking at Promoting Equality in African Schools (Peas), which has about 30 secondary schools spread across the country, said 1,020 of 20,000 students didn’t report because of school fees-related issues.
“This prompted us to put in place digital platforms where parents can pay at least 40 percent of the fees in at least five instalments,” he said.
Br John Bosco Kato, the head teacher of Bishop Comboni High School in Kanungu District, said the school enrolment “slightly increased” last year from 550 to 570 this year.
But Mr Wycliffe Mackey Twinomujuni, the head teacher of Kashenyi Secondary School, Ruhinda Sub-county in Rukungiri District, said the number of learners in the school reduced from more than 1,000 last year to less than 850 this First Term.
Mr Richard Sempiira, the Head teacher King Solomon High School in Kyegegwa District, said some of his students failed to return after their parents said the fees structure was high and unaffordable.
Mr Norbert Apamaku, the head teacher of Koboko Preparatory Nursery and Primary School in Koboko Municipality said parents have been asked to pay in kind if they do not have cash.
“We have entered into an agreement with some parents where we give them some time to lay bricks or wait for their harvest so that they can clear with time. This has given our parents some time to meet the school dues,” he said.
Mr James Shilaku, the Abim Resident District Commissioner (RDC), said more than 30 percent of learners were out of school because of parents who failed to raise the required fees to facilitate learning.
He also said many learners are not reporting to school because they are not provided meals.
In Nwoya District, a similar percentage of learners are said to be out of school due to illegal fees and related dues.
Last Friday, Nwoya District council discussed the matter.
The Minister for Local Government, Mr Raphael Magyezi, who attended the council meeting, directed authorities to urgently investigate the matter.
“The illegal charging of parents must be investigated; so I am bringing it to you (district) chairman that you instruct the investigators, auditors through the Chief Administrative Officer to investigate this matter and I want a report within one month,” Mr Magyezi said.
Meanwhile, some government-aided schools in Lira City are struggling to operate after some parents refused to pay Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) fees to fund school activities.
Ms Sarah Ruth Apio, the head teacher of Lango Quran Primary School, said: “In this school, most children are disadvantaged and because of that, their parents don’t pay the PTA fee. There are very few who contribute.”
Ms Apio said that the PTA contribution for Primary One to Primary Four class is at Shs50,000, Primary Six (Shs60,000) and Primary Seven (Shs75,000).
Mapius Omonya, the head teacher of Amuca Primary School in Lira City West Division, said much as the PTA contribution at the school is Shs22, 000 per term, parents are not willing to pay.
“But we have been telling them to understand that this is their school and it is their responsibility to develop it,” he said.
He added: “Pupils’ enrolment is over 900 but on Mondays and Fridays, their numbers drop to 700 or 800. However, Local Council leaders are helping us in identifying and punishing such parents.’’
Mr Jaspher Abura, the Lira city education officer, said as a result of failure by parents in paying the PTA fees, it has made it difficult to manage the schools.
Meanwhile, some mothers have been coming to the Nation Media Group office in Lira, seeking support so that their voices can be heard and their children’s education sponsored by well-wishers, politicians or non-governmental organisations.
For instance, two weeks ago, a mother of a 15-year-old boy who sat Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at Lira Integrated Primary School, Lira City, asked the Monitor to write a story about her plight so that her son could be supported.
Also, another woman, from Teso Bar, Lira City West Division, whose daughter is in Senior Three at Akalo Comprehensive Secondary School, Kole District, last week said she was still at home.
But Ms Annet Nabuuma, the Mpigi District probation officer, said some parents and guardians have deliberately refused to take their children to school under the guise of lacking fees even when there is free universal education in public schools.
“Someone who values education could have taken a decision in the first week of February to enrol his children in any of the government schools where there is free education, but they are not doing it, leaving many children loitering in towns and villages,” she said.
She says as a district, they are planning on-spot operations this month to round up all children who have failed to go back to school.
Haji Abubaker Sseruyange, the head teacher of Wamatovu Seed School in Mpigi District, said some parents have a tendency of keeping their school-going children at home during the first and second terms and later bring them back in the Third Term.
“I have been here as head teacher for 10 years and also a resident in this locality. Some of our learners are seen loitering in the area. But when Third Term comes, they will appear and write exams to move to the next class.”
Learners, parents cry out
Mr Alosio Katuramu, a parent from Kamwenge District, said his daughter, who completed Primary Seven last year, was supposed to be enrolled in Senior One at St John Baptist SS in Ntungamo District, but he failed to raise Shs227, 000 in school fees.
His daughter, Ms Patience Ahimbisibwe, said she “feels uncomfortable” sitting at home when pupils with whom she sat PLE joined secondary school.
“My parents have openly told me that they don’t have money for this (First) term, but I hope I will be able to enrol next term.”
Ms Loyce Ajio, a parent in Arua City, said: “I only sent two of my children to school. I gave priority to those in upper classes, Primary Five and Primary Seven. And now, I am still looking for Shs700, 000 to clear the fees for the other two in Middle Class and Primary Two. And with the money crisis, it is very difficult to clear school fees at once.”
“The school administrators are aware that I have been paying well. So I requested them to give me time and they have accepted,” she added.
Badru Nagwere, a former Senior Two student of Mbale Comprehensive High School, said he is still home because his parents have failed to get fees.
“The first weeks were hard but I got used to it and I’m now selling fruits and making some money,” he told Monitor.
Abubaker Manana, a student of Nkoma Secondary School, said he has now opted to sell secondhand clothes to support his siblings who are in primary school.
Karamoja situation
A 2022 report sponsored by the US and the government of Ireland showed that
•more than 50 percent of girls and 22 percent of boys in Amudat were not in school
•33 percent of girls and 38 percent of boys in Napak were not in school
•15 percent of girls and 10 percent of boys in Kaabong were not in school
• 33 percent of girls and 15 percent of boys in Moroto were not in school
*Compiled by Philip Wafula, Tausi Nakato, Abubaker Kirunda, Simon Peter Emwamu, Robert Muhereza, Naume Biira, Brian A Kesiima, Emmanuel Arineitwe, Fred Wambede, Felix Warom Okello, Bill Oketch, Patrick Ebong, Ronald Acema, Noeline Nabukenya, Ronald Kabanza, Tobbias Jolly Owiny, Felix Ainebyoona, Julius Byamukama & Alex Ashaba
