NRM official warns parents on school dropouts
NRM party treasurer Rose Namayanja (L) and Gender and Community Development minister Muruli Mukasa commission classroom blocks at Butiiti Primary School in Nakasongola District on Monday. Photo by Dan Wandera.
What you need to know:
Warning. Party treasurer Rosemary Namayanja says failure by parents to educate their children tantamounts to betrayal of government.
Nakasongola. A top official of the ruling NRM party has warned parents who don’t send their children to school even when there is free education that they are betraying the nation.
Ms Rosemary Namayanja, the party treasurer, said parents ought to understand that their children’s education is the best investment for the future generation.
“The key to a better future generation is in the education of children. Many parents have a negative attitude towards education and this could be the reason many abandon the responsibility of educating their offsprings,” Ms Namayanja, the out-going Information minister, said.
“Government has built schools and ensured that teachers are paid but many of you do not want to enroll your children,” she added.
Ms Namayanja was addressing parents of Butiiti Primary School in Nakasongola District where she represented President Museveni at the commissioning of a seven-classroom block built by a charity organisation, Build Tomorrow, Uganda on Monday.
“Parents who fail to utilise government’s universal education programmes (UPE and USE) are betraying the future of Uganda. Government is now putting emphasis on quality education after establishing the required infrastructure,” Ms Namayanja stated.
Incoming Gender and Community Development minister Muruli Mukasa said Nakasongola has been struggling in the field of education because it has few schools.
“We are witnessing one of the most successful school building programmes for Nakasongola. These classrooms will boost education programmes in Nakasongola. Parents should guard all school property against vandalism,” Mr Muruli said.
Nakasongola has 165 government-aided primary schools, according to the district inspector of schools, Mr Charles Sserunjogi.
The statistics
In East Africa, Uganda has the lowest proportion of children staying in school up to Primary Seven, according to a 2010 report by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. In Kenya, the completion rate is 84 per cent, Tanzania 81 per cent and Rwanda 74 per cent.
