Muntu criticises government over poor education

Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda presents an award to the FDC president, Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu (L) and his brother, Mr Herbert Muntu (C), during the Golden Jubilee cerebrations of Muntoyera High School, Kitunga in Ntungamo District on Thursday. PHOTO BY PEREZ RUMANZI

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He said children in the government’s free Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools reach Primary Seven without capacity to speak English.

Ntungamo- The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president, Maj Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu, has castigated the ruling NRM government for its alleged failure to ensure quality education and human resource development in the country.

Maj Gen Muntu said education is the core of human development yet little focus has been placed on improving it.

He said children in the government’s free Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools reach Primary Seven without capacity to speak English.

“That’s a challenge, it’s widespread, it’s a challenge you do face as the current regime. It’s a challenge that we hope you would be able to sort out. Because we meet many kids who are in UPE schools, they even reach P. 7 and cannot write their names; It’s unfortunate,” Gen Muntu, a former army commander, said.

“It’s not a problem that cannot be resolved. God’s ways are not our ways, if it’s the will of God and of people that other people come in to solve that, it will have to be so. But I hope you would have done much in this one remaining year of your mandate,” he added.

Gen Muntu was speaking recently during the 50th anniversary celebrations of Muntuyera High School Kitunga, a school named after his father Enock Muntuyera, a former minister of education in the Milton Obote government, who donated the land where the school sits in Ntungamo District.

Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine, the chairperson of the school’s Old Boys Association, also called for more attention to education and improving the teacher-student relations.

Ntungamo Woman MP Naome Kabasharira said Uganda’s education is being undermined by fees discrimination which favours rich people’s children who join good schools, leaving bright poor children languishing in poor schools.

Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda concurred with Maj Gen Muntu on the value of education but added that the government had done a lot to better the quality by improving infrastructure, staff emoluments and supporting science students at university with student loans.

“Universal Primary Education, Universal Secondary Education and now partially the loan scheme have been launched in order to ensure that there is full access to education in Uganda. The barrier to access has been removed by the National Resistance Movement government,” Dr Rugunda said.

“A point was raised about quality of education, it’s a legitimate point. The rehabilitation of Kitunga and 42 other secondary schools and other institutions is again evident to show infrastructure and other essential requirements are already being put in place,” he added.

Dr Rugunda praised the family of the late Muntuyera for their efforts toward developing the country and offering their land on which the school was built.

He said the contribution of Maj Gen Muntu and his brother, Mr Herbert Muntuyera can never be downplayed in the struggle for Uganda’s freedom while his father was more key in developing the country’s education.
Started in 1965 as Kitunga High School, the school was renamed Muntuyera High School, Kitunga, in 1983 after its founder Muntuyera, whose remains were being reburied at the time. He died in exile in 1978.

The school has produced prominent people, including Rwanda’s Chief Justice Sam Rugege and Attorney General Johnston Busingye; Uganda’s Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine, incoming Chief Justice Bart Katurebe and incoming FDC president Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, among others.