BY JOACKIM KULE
In a consultative meeting held on Monday, head teachers from various schools in Kasese district voiced their apprehensions regarding the potential decline in learner performance due to a policy that restricts school management committees from charging money from parents.
The meeting, aimed at improving the quality of educational services in the district, saw the participation of zonal head teachers from all sub-counties, along with members of the Executive Committee of Kasese District Primary Head Teachers’ Association, local political leaders, and the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Lt. Joe Walusimbi.
Under the theme “Quality Education is Every Stakeholder’s Responsibility,” the gathering provided an opportunity for head teachers to present their reports on school operations and performance.
Mr. Jackson Sibasi, Zonal Head Teacher for Hima Town Council, represented the concerns of the head teachers, emphasizing that the recent practice of arresting them for sending students home due to unpaid fees could negatively impact learner performance.
Head teachers explained that the government’s allocation of capitation grants was insufficient to cover necessary school activities, such as termly and mock examinations for primary seven candidates.
This lack of funds also made it difficult for them to pay teachers hired to manage nursery sections within their institutions.
Furthermore, head teachers expressed frustration with some parents who did not attend school meetings, failed to register their children, and sent them to school without essential scholastic materials. These parents were reported to intimidate head teachers when decisions were made to support their children’s education.
Mrs. Peskezia Kabugho, the Head Teacher for Muhokya Primary Schools in Muhokya Town Council, shared her concerns about the challenges faced in paying teachers for nursery sections due to financial constraints.
In response to the arrests of head teachers, Mr. George S. Mayinja, the Kasese District Principal Education Officer, explained that non-compliance with education policies and stakeholders’ failure to fulfill their roles could contribute to such actions.
On the issue of charging money from parents, Mr. Eliphaz Muhindi Bukombi, the District Chairperson, discouraged school management committees from imposing fees that parents might find difficult to afford. He mentioned that the government had increased the capitation grant by 20% in the current financial year.
However, the RDC, Lt. Joe Walusimbi, stood firm on his position, warning head teachers that they would continue to face arrest if they denied educational services to learners over unpaid fees.
He advised them to explore alternative methods of collecting fees from parents without adversely affecting the students.
The consultative meeting shed light on the challenges faced by head teachers in Kasese district while implementing Universal Primary Education.
It emphasized the need for a collaborative effort among all stakeholders to ensure the provision of quality education to every child in the region.