BY JOACKIM KULE
Kasese District is registering strides in the implementation of formal education as a fulfilment of the Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere Irema-ngoma’s message to the subjects to use a pen as a way of ending ignorance among the communities in the Rwenzori sub-region.
The Omusinga denounced firefighting weapons and encouraged the use of a pen to create peace, unity and fighting ignorance as he descended from the mountains on August 15,1982.
This prompted the Kingdom to mark August 15 every year as a day of the pen. The day aims at encouraging the subjects to embrace formal education and evaluating the far the subjects have reached in terms of attaining formal education.
This year’s theme is, “Together in Diversity in Advancing Peace and Progress through Education.”
During an education symposium that was held today at Rwenzori International Hotel in Kasese town ahead of the celebrations to mark the 2nd edition of the day of the pen, the Kasese District Education Officer, Earnest Bwambale Thabugha indicated a significant response of the people to the call for formal education in the entire district.
According to Thabugha, whereas the first secondary school was established in Kasese in 1974, the district has had more schools both owned by the government and private individuals.
He revealed that in the schools across the district, they currently have 188,000 learners who are attended to by 3,335 teachers.
However, the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu Minister for Education, Research and Sports, Hon. Joshua Baluku, indicated that they were still lacking a public university that would help to boost the subjects’ level of education to greater heights.
Rt. Hon. Benson Kule Baritazale, the Prime Minister of Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu, expressed happiness that at least 200 learners have benefited from the State House scholarship scheme offered to the Kingdom.
He, however, appealed to the community members to work hard towards ending the challenge of early and teenage marriages.
ENDS