Govt urged to save traditional schools

The government has been urged to put more emphasis on supporting traditional schools as a significant number of them are struggling both financially and infrastructure-wise. 

According to the Tooro Kingdom deputy minister of health, Dr Richard Mugahi, liberalisation of the education sector has led to traditional schools facing stiff competition in terms of academic performance and population.

Dr Mugahi, who is also the assistant commissioner for reproductive health in the Ministry of Health, made the remarks during celebrations to mark 100 years of St Leo’s College, Kyegobe’s existence in  Fort Portal, Kabarole District, last weekend. 

St Leo’s College is one of the traditional schools in the country renowned for its academic and sports prowess from the 1980s through mid-2000s. 

But the school had been teetering on the brink of collapse following upheavals in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Strikes and academic malpractices engulfed the school and in 2014 led to the cancellation of some of the college’s Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results. 

Founded by white Catholic fathers in 1921 but now a government-aided school under the jurisdiction of the Fort Portal Catholic Diocese, St Leo’s was now on a downward spiral.

Consequently, disillusioned parents began withdrawing their children from the institution, and the school’s enrollment plummeted to lows of 195 students.

However, for the past eight years, a group of its OBs has joined forces to breathe new life into the school by investing about Shs800m.

Dr Mugahi, who said as old boys of St Leo’s College, Kyegobe, they could not simply stand by and watch it crumble as they waited for rescue from elsewhere.

“As OBs, we have revived this school to see that it has increased enrollment and improved performance,” he said.

“But we request the government to build other modern infrastructures at the school. “This college, with about 600 students, has only 40 computers. The world is going digital, and students need to be digitally equipped. Let the Ministry of Education support us in that area,” he added.

The drive to revive the school started with the renovation of dilapidated structures, including dormitories and sports facilities, and the focus has now steadily shifted from physical infrastructure to the revival of academic excellence.

OBs efforts
“By the time we decided to come on board as OBs, we found that the school enrollment had reduced from 1,000 to 200 students,” Eng Emmex Turyatunga, the chairperson of the OBs association, explained.

“Since then, the school continued to struggle, but now, eight years after our intervention, the school has regained its lost glory, both in academics and enrollment,” he added.

Eng Turyatunga revealed that to improve academic performance, the OBs initiated a bursary scheme in 2015, through which they have been sponsoring needy but bright students at the school up to a tune of Shs70m per year.

“In the 2022 UCE results,” he expounded, “out of the 28 students we sat, 21 achieved first-grade distinctions, and seven second-grade distinctions.”

“Notably, 11 of the students who excelled in Division One were beneficiaries of the OBs’ bursary scheme. As a result, the school was ranked 51st in the entire country in UCE results,” he said.

Eng Turyatunga added that “in the coming two years, we are expecting the school to have an enrollment of 1,000 students.”

Nevertheless, Eng Turyatunga appealed to the government to provide financial support for the renovation of the remaining school structures.

Mr Trophy Atuhairwe, the school head teacher, recounted the challenges he faced upon joining the college in 2019, including a debt of more than Shs200m, which has since been paid off.

The head teacher said with the OBs intervention, the school’s enrollment has surged to 560 students and is hopeful that it will double within the next two years.

He added that what the school needs now is additional renovations and the construction of a perimeter wall.

“Our new strategy now is to improve further in academics to attract more students to join the school,” Mr Atuhairwe said, emphasising their five-year development plan aimed at increasing enrollment.

Fort Portal Catholic Bishop Robert Muhiirwa, who presided over the function, expressed gratitude for the Obs’ role in reviving the school.

“We are grateful to the old boys for the revival of the school, and we pray they continue with the plan of the revival of the school so that parents can continue bringing their students. This time, the school has what it takes to shine again.”

Bishop Muhirwa also highlighted the transformation in discipline among the students, remarking that strikes and poor performance were now history at the school.

To celebrate the milestones this year, the OBs, students and well-wishers marched from Booma Grounds in Fort Portal to Kabura Playground for the Sleck Sports Gala last Saturday before wrapping up with the dinner at the college the following day.

At the sports gala, Nkrumah House swept the basketball and football honours, while Nyerere took the handball bragging rights.