Teachers desert Sango Bay school

Pupils attend a lesson at Sango Bay learning centre on Monday. PHOTO BY IVAN KIMBOWA

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The situation. Only four teachers have reported since the term began.

RAKAI. At least 10 teachers have deserted Sango bay Resettlement Camp learning centre in Kakuuto Sub-county, Rakai district, leaving pupils stranded, Daily Monitor has established.
Mr Erias Byaruhanga, the chairperson Sango Bay Resettlement Camp, said the centre has 14 teaching staff, 10 of whom have never reported to the centre since the term began.
“We cannot tell why they abandoned the school because they [teachers] never communicated their decision officially. Only four are conducting lessons and are overstretched – something which needs urgent attention,” he said in an interview on Monday
This comes three weeks after the learning centre reopened for third term. Although schools opened on September 7, for third term, pupils at the centre started late due to delayed release of funds from government and humanitarian agencies supporting the camp. The centre has a population of 1,632 children of the school going age, but less than 200 reported for third term.
According to Ms Immaculate Nanyondo, a class teacher for Primary Four, few pupils attend classes and majority remain home since their parents have learnt that there are few teachers to attend to them.
“A few who come spend time playing because there are no teachers in class,” she explained.
She added that this has forced the centre administration to end lessons at lunch time.
Ms Hope Katushabe, one of the parents with four children at the centre, said it was meaningless to send her children to school where there are no teachers.
When contacted, Ms Abubaker Mutaaya, the district education officer, said his office was aware of the problem and was doing everything possible to recruit new teachers.
“Some of those teachers were unmanageable, but we are yet to recruit new ones. It will be unfair to deny pupils their right to education when organisations such as United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef ) have already sent in money to run the learning centre,” he said.
The refugees at Sango bay were expelled from Tanzania in 2013 over illegal entrance into the country and settling in Kagera Region and Misenyi District that border Uganda.