Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has criticised some school head teachers and termed them parasites for “milking parents through constant school demands” and at times diverting the school requirements for their own benefits, including setting up personal businesses.
Rather than implementing the current policy of free Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme that was introduced in 1997, President Museveni said some head teachers have instead turned into shrewd businessmen and are taking advantage of parents.
“These head teachers are local parasites. They look at children as a source of money,” the President said during the 17th International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) Africa region conference in Kampala yesterday.
He added: “Instead of implementing our policy of free education, they are looking at money, yet for us, we are saying let the children study for free in government schools. When they study for free, most beneficiaries will be girls because when a family is faced with a problem of money, when they have to decide who should leave school or stay, [often] the girl is the one who drops out,” he added.
The theme for the conference was “Women judges: Breaking barriers to equal justice and strengthening institutions.”
The President said some head teachers have turned schools into markets for merchandise.
“They say, the children must bring money for feeding. The government is not asking for money but these local parasites are asking for money for feeding. If I don’t have money, let my child not eat but study,” Mr Museveni said.
Against this background, the President urged women in judicial leadership positions to support free education.
“You people who advocate for women rights, you don’t support me. I am always fighting alone,” he said.
The IAWJ conference, among other things, also recognised the importance of women in the top leadership positions in the country.
“We have within the Judiciary of Uganda a handful of Ugandan lady justices, who are ready to take on the mantle of leadership of the institution. I say this with contentment and pride knowing that when my tenure in office is over, I should not be surprised if the [next] Chief Justice of Uganda were a woman,” Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo said.
Kenya Chief Justice Martha Koome highlighted some of the issues women face while at the top leadership, including being under pressure to assume and adapt to the male norms.
“I encourage women to adapt to their own feminine norms by setting their own boundaries and being unapologetic about who they are. Society will always find a way of accommodating us when we bring out the best versions of ourselves,” she said.
The IAWJ conference will end on Saturday.