Scrap Museveni aid to private schools - technocrats

State minister for Sports Charles Bakabulindi during the meeting in Kampala on Friday. PHOTO BY Stephen Wandera

What you need to know:

The educationists said the President’s pledges are a burden to the ministry.

Kampala. Ministry of Education and Sports planning technocrats have recommended that President Museveni’s grant pledges to several private and community schools be thrown out.
The suggestion is among several others by the more than 100 educationalists who met at the weekend to identify funded and unfunded priorities, saying the presidential pledges are a burden and constrain the ministry’s budget.
“Funded priorities for secondary schools: we have agreed to improve teaching of science and mathematics. A total of 4,800 teachers and 200 laboratory teachers are to be trained at a cost of Shs700 million and 643.5 million respectively,” reads recommendations of the meeting.
“Unfunded priorities: recruitment of 1,603 teachers in 303 schools at a cost of Shs11.6 billion. Grant aiding to 50 community and private schools worthy Shs10.14 billion of which 10 schools are presidential pledges.”

Disturbing recommendations
Disturbed by the recommendations, acting commissioner government schools Benson Kule Baritazale had to seek for guidance.
“I need to be helped, there are presidential pledges to 10 schools and there are letters to this effect,” Mr Baritazal e pleaded.
When asked later to explain about President Museveni’s pledges, State Minister for Sports Charles Bakabulindi referred the matter to Mr Baritzale, who downplayed it, saying there is a committee handling the controversy.