By Stephen Otage
The Federation of Non-State Educational Institutions in Uganda, says some schools have been forced to prematurely send learners home because they cannot afford the high operational costs including feeding.
Zauja Ndifuna the Vice national Chairperson tells KFM that some school proprietors have intimated to her that the high food prices are eating into their profits.
She says this is worsened by the government ban on school fees increments and low school fees collections from parents since the majority have not paid full tuition.
Meanwhile, while the Federation of Non-State Educational Institutions defends some schools for closing before 15 April, the official closing date set by the government, the association of Secondary School headteachers blames parents for failing to help the government enforce the policies and guidelines that were given to them before reopening.
Martin Okiria Obore the association’s national chairperson, is mainly private schools that are violating the government guidelines and policies blaming the parents for laxity in the enforcement of the government policies.
“Schools can start closing from 12th to 14th April because 15th April is a Good Friday. Unfortunately, some people are not aware of government policies which is why those schools are defying them. I know that the term has been 14 weeks longer than the usual term of 12 weeks but this didn’t justify defying the ministry,” he said.
Following the official reopening of schools after the two-year lockdowns, the government set 15th April 2022 as the official closing date for all Primary and Secondary schools around the country.
Unlike the previous school terms which had 12 weeks, this school term has 14 weeks to cover the new syllabus that the government came up with following the two-year lockdown.
Dr Dennis Mugimba the Ministry of education spokesperson, declined to comment on the matter, saying the ministry is coming out this week to address the matter.
