Private schools' teachers ask government to open school for all

By Alice Lubwama

The chairman Kampala private schools teachers association, Nambale Haruna has called for the president’s intervention so that commercial banks do not take over the school premises over loan arrears.

In a telephone interview Nambale said that some banks have already taken the schools' properties and others are warming up to take more premises.

He said that many of their members borrowed loans to refurbish the premises hoping that they will service them using students fees but unfortunately they have not been able to do so due to the COVID 19 lock down.

"Let the government intervene because these private schools are doing a good job in helping Government to provide education to Ugandans." Nambale said

He claims that over 100 proprietors of private schools in only Makidye division have abandoned the business because they have failed to pay the land lords.

"In one zone about six private schools have closed down yet there is only one Government school with a very big population and cannot accommodate more children." Nambale noted.

He now calls on the government to support the remaining schools so they can accommodate the children from those that have closed down.

He also appeals to Government to release the 22 billion shillings which was promised to the teachers so that those who are unemployed can start up their own businesses otherwise many of them will die of pressure.

Around June this year , President Museveni promised to inject 22 billion shillings in the private teacher’s savings and credit cooperative society and directed the ministry of finance to allocate the money through the micro finance center but Nambale say they have not received the money up to now.

He now calls the president to follow up his directive to ensure that this money reaches the poor teachers who have now resorted to vending bananas.

On the idea of re-opening of classes in shifts, Nambale says if they had an opportunity to meet the president, they ask him to open all classes at once, saying that children are more safe at school more than the communities especially in ghetto areas where they work from because they mix with so many people who could easily infect them with diseases including COVID 19 .