Improve access to quality education

What you need to know:

  • A case in point is in Entebbe, Wakiso District, where more than 30 pupils cross Lake Victoria from Buwaya village, Kasanje Town Council to access education at Nakiwogo, Kiwafu, and Nsamizi Army primary schools in Entebbe municipality.
  • The only government school around the area is Namugala Primary School found at Buwaya village, but parents view it as substandard, opting for the other alternative primary schools across the waters in Entebbe Municipality.
  • In a situation of double jeopardy, there have also been reports of boat owners allegedly defiling the pupils, hence, increasingly making the attempt to get to school very difficult.

The ministry of Education has continued to crackdown on unlicensed schools, leaving several learners in the different corners of the country struggling to get appropriate alternatives to their educational needs. As a spillover effect, the affected learners are compelled to change schools and most times brave longer distances and harsh weather.

A case in point is in Entebbe, Wakiso District, where more than 30 pupils cross Lake Victoria from Buwaya village, Kasanje Town Council to access education at Nakiwogo, Kiwafu, and Nsamizi Army primary schools in Entebbe municipality. The only government school around the area is Namugala Primary School found at Buwaya village, but parents view it as substandard, opting for the other alternative primary schools across the waters in Entebbe Municipality.

The transport available to them is the free government ferry which helps people to cross to and from Buwaya. However, the ferry’s schedules do not conform to the learners’ movements. And since they cannot miss out on the lessons, the pupils improvise by using local boats to cross the lake back home after they have missed the ferry. The pupils board boats that have no life jackets which puts their lives in danger.

While it is understood that government should allow only licensed schools to operate, it however should also take care of whether there are quick alternates for pupils to access the next school unhindered. Rather than close unlicensed schools completely, government should help them to fix the gaps and allow learners to continue with school interrupted. Risks of crossing through the lake daily while going to school in unsafe ways in the hope of getting a decent education is cumbersome, and a constant risk the pupils are undertaking routinely calls for government intervention to end it.

Some Primary Seven pupils have had to make a hard choice between attending afternoon classes or miss the ferry because by this time, the ferry is done with its travel schedule. Some parents have had to negotiate with some boat operators to transport their children at a fee, but the deal did not work out as some operators deny the children the services.

In a situation of double jeopardy, there have also been reports of boat owners allegedly defiling the pupils, hence, increasingly making the attempt to get to school very difficult. There should be consideration for pupils as government continues to rein in schools that do not meet the standards.