Over 700 pupils of Bukiyi Primary School in Dahami sub-county, Sironko district have been studying in the open for the last two years since the school’s roof and walls collapsed.
The dilapidated structures pose a significant risk to both teachers and learners, and the learners are finding it hard to concentrate.
Rose Nanjala, the school’s headteacher, lamented that they have written to the responsible authorities, but the responses have taken longer than expected, leaving them in dire conditions that are not coherent with the standards of an institution of learning. “As a teacher, it’s hard to administer commands to learners in such an environment as the learners hardly concentrate,” she added.
Rose Nagudi, the teacher of the primary three class that is the most affected, said that harsh weather puts both teachers and learners at risk because the remaining walls can collapse at any time, leaving them in ruins. “These learning conditions have made us fail to complete the syllabus on time, yet the examination is set based on a wide cast that at times the learners haven’t covered, thereby affecting their performance,” she said.
LawrenceWaoyeba, the chairperson of the local council III of Dahami sub-county, noted that they have appealed to the district to come to their rescue but all in vain. “This is the only school in the area, so having it in such conditions is a big disadvantage to the community. We have written to the district to appeal to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Relief and disaster preparedness, but no positive response has been received up to date,” Waoyeba added.
John Gidudu, an old boy of the school, echoed the concerns of the teachers and learners, noting that the risk for both learners and teachers to operate in “Such an environment is dire and uncommendable for human use.” Imagine a child who is studying under such harsh conditions is meant to compete with his peers who are in schools that are well-built and hardly face any interruption by the weather,” he said.
Concerned parents also call for prompt government action and are willing to help reclaim the glory of the school. “We are willing to contribute whatever we can to help rebuild the school and provide a safe and conducive learning environment for our children,” said Geoffrey Magimugu, one parent.
These have urged the government has been urged to prioritize the rehabilitation of Bukiyi Primary School to prevent further harm to the learners’ education and ensure that they have a safe and conducive learning environment.
Moses Masibo, the Sironko District Education Officer, promised to follow up on the matter and ensure that the school is rehabilitated as soon as possible. “We are aware of the situation at Bukiyi Primary School, and we are doing everything possible to ensure that the school is rehabilitated. We are committed to providing quality education to our children,” Masibo said
Context and facts
Sironko District, located in the eastern part of Uganda, faces numerous challenges when it comes to providing quality education to its residents.
According to a report by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), the district’s literacy rate stands at 62.9%, which is below the national average of 73%. The district also has a high dropout rate, especially among girls, due to poverty and early marriages.
In addition to these challenges, the district also faces a shortage of teachers and inadequate infrastructure, including classrooms and textbooks. Many schools in the district operate under deplorable conditions, with some even lacking basic amenities like toilets and clean water.
According to the 2019 report by the Ministry of Education and Sports, the primary school teacher-to-pupil ratio in Uganda was 1:56. This means that for every teacher in a primary school in Uganda, there were 56 pupils. The report also indicated that the teacher-to-pupil ratio was highest in rural areas, where it stood at 1:63 and Sironko district being in a rural area, the teacher-to-pupil ratio in the district is likely higher than the national average.
According to the Annual School Census Report of the 2020 Ministry of Education, there were 558 primary school teachers and 264 secondary school teachers in Sironko district as of 2020.