Boy quits studies to man school gate

Edward Echeku’s dream is to become a mechanical engineer.

In 2015, the now 15-year-old began the journey to fufil his dream when he joined the Kayunga Mixed Primary for his Primary One.

However, over the course of his education journey, Echeku has faced a number of obstacles, the biggest being that he is a slow learner.

This has seen him repeat many of his classes and turned him into a laughingstock among his peers.

“Although I was always attentive in class, I often failed exams,” Echeku, whose father is a Primary school teacher, says.

He adds that some of his teachers advised him to consult his classmates for assistance but the latter often made fun of him.

Last year, Echeku joined Primary Six. However, he was much bigger and taller than his classmates who often made fun of him for it.

“They also gave me nicknames,” he says.

He adds that the insults were so bad that he sometimes missed lessons in a bid to avoid his classmates.

At the end of the year, Echeku was promoted to Primary Seven. However, he says he had had enough of the ridicule and decided to drop out of school.

“My dream is now shattered because I am no longer studying,” he says.

However, the head teacher, Ms Jane Nayiga, retained him as a gatekeeper. He is paid Shs50,000 a month and works during the day until 5pm.

Sadly, Echeku says the ridicule from the pupils has worsened.

“Pupils I used to study with don’t respect me and simply abuse me when I give them directives like not getting out of school before the prescribed time,” he says.

When contacted for a comment on the matter, Ms Nayiga said: “I don’t want to say anything about that issue”.

But a teacher at the school, who asked not to be named in order to speak freely, said Echeku had special needs and required specialised teachers.

“He only needed closer attention to realise his dream,” the teacher says.

Echeku still lives with his parents in Namagabi A Village in Kayunga Town.

His mother, Ms Rosemary Kigongo, says she was not happy with her son’s decision to drop out of school.

“The job he is doing can only sustain him as a young boy, but cannot help him when he grows up,” she says.

Ms Kigongo adds that despite her desire to see her child excel academically, she had been struggling to pay his fees of Shs60,000.

 “I have other children yet I do odd jobs to earn money to supplement my husband’s earnings from the teaching job,” she says.

When contacted, Mr Ramadhan Simali, the Kayunga District inspector of schools, said he was not aware of “the shocking issue”.

“Now that you have told me, I am going to investigate that matter. Since when did such things start happening in our school?” he asks

Mr Collins Kafeero, the Kayunga District probation and social welfare officer,  said: “Kayunga District lacks special needs teachers which leads to many such learners going without education.”

about the school

Kayunga Mixed Primary School is a government-aided school with about 500 pupils.