30 sub-counties in Sironko lack a secondary school

Access to education is still a challenge in Sironko District as most areas lack schools.

Mr Moses Nambale, the district education officer (DEO), said about 30 sub-counties in the district lack secondary schools.

“Thirty out of 42 sub-counties in the district lack a secondary school. This is hampering access to education in this area, especially for the girl-child,” he said.

Mr Nambale made the remarks during the commissioning of Buteza Seed Secondary School in Buwira Village, Namugabwe Sub-county, at the weekend.

The school will serve about six sub-counties, including Buteza, Bugusege, Buwasa, and Namugabwe as well as Budadiri and Buweri town councils.

The commissioning was graced by the State minister for the Elderly, Mr Dominic Mafwabi Gidudu. It was funded by the World Bank and constructed by Bam Construction Company.

Mr Nambale said lack of secondary schools is responsible for the big number of school dropouts, teenage pregnancies and child marriages in the area.

“This is because thousands of children move long distances to find schools and along the way most of them, drop out and others get impregnated,” he said.

According to the government policy, each sub-county should have at least a a secondary school.

The policy has since been incorporated in the government’s five-year development plan and the National Development Plan III.

Mr Joseph Nangoli, a parent, said the construction of the institution will motivate students to stay in school.

“Our girls will now have an opportunity to study because most of them have been dropping out of school due to the long distance,” he said.

Mr Zadoch Guwodo, the head teacher of the school, said the number of students has increased  ever since they opened last term.

“We have had an increase of more than 400 students. The school has opened up chances for hundreds of learners to access quality education,” he said.

The minister for Education, Ms Janet Kataha Museveni, in her speech read by Mr Mafwabi, said the government has taken deliberate efforts to improve education services in the country.

“Our priority is to develop human capital and our responsibility is to provide quality education,” Ms Museveni said.

BACKGROUND 

The government is building 259 seed schools in sub-counties where there is no secondary school under the Uganda Inter-governmental, Fiscal Transfers (UgIFT) programme, which is funded by the World Bank. A total of 117 schools will be built in the first phase, 115 schools in the second, and 27 in the third one.

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