The sorry state of public schools worries stakeholders in the education sector

In Summary
  1. Public schools have no electricity, teachers 
  2. Inspectors  of schools at district level say they are poorly facilitated 
Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo

Stakeholders in the education sector including District Education Officers have continued to  express  dissatisfaction over  the deteriorating education standards in the country's public schools.

During an engagement with the Anti-Corruption Working Group officials on Education Financing and  Accountability , several players in the education sector noted that government schools lack electricity , they  have poor structures, hygiene ,theirs  poor feeding of students.

They as well sighted out  lack of enough teachers and absenteeism among the available ones mostly in up country  schools as a major threat to the improvement of education quality.

Christine Acayi, the District Education Officer (DEO) for Packwach District stated  that  most  teachers put district officials on pressure to be transferred   to urban districts thus leaving rural schools with an insufficient number of teachers.

She added that even the Inspectors of Schools can't perfectly do their job due to lack of enough transport hence leaving up country public schools in a sorry state.

Acayi went ahead and asked government to connect the West Nile region to the National grid so that schools easily access electricity.

Gwoktho James the District Inspector of School in Nebbi Local Government admitted that most  inspectors in several districts have neglected their role because they are poorly facilitated.

Gwoktho explained that being poorly paid and not having  enough transport are some of the reasons for the neglect.

 He however assured Ugandans that they  are willing to work towards the growth of the sector if government considers improving on  their facilitation .

 Sam Ntale, the National project Coordinator for Tax and Education for  Action Aid International  urged parents to work together with  public  schools to solve minor issues such as lack of enough food among others, as the government works tirelessly to work on their improvement.