After 20 years, school shifts from tree shade to classroom

The school was an initiative of parents who wanted to help their children stop the nine kilometre trek to the nearest school.

For 20 years, those who passed through Aginia Primary School in Arua District sat on logs or stones under tree shades, which was their classroom.

Whenever it rained, pupils ran to the nearby homes for shelter while others failed to come to school during rainy seasons.
The head teacher, Mr Ronald Angaza, said: “When rains start, children abandon lessons to rush home because when they delay, the river floods and blocks the road.”

The school was an initiative of parents who wanted to help their children stop the nine kilometre trek to the nearest school.
However, the school is on a new path to change after it received a Shs163 million classroom block from the World Vision, an NGO and pit-latrines for both boys and girls.

During the hand-over ceremony of the classroom blocks recently, the school management committee chairperson, Mr Robert Adelia, accused the government of failing to intervene despite taking over the school in 2000.
“Why has it taken all these years for a government to intervene? What crime did we commit to deserve this? We don’t have any health centre in the area, our children and residents die of water-borne diseases because they drink unsafe water,” he said.

The World Vision area coordinator, Mr Stephen Ssevume, expressed concern about the high dropout rates and pupil absenteeism.
“Last year, we had about 10 girls dropping out, others got pregnant while others were forced into marriage by their parents as boys go hunting,” he said.

Although school administrators still do not have offices, with the head teacher conducting business under a tree, Mr Angaza said they hope to provide better education services.

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