Lack of electricity hinders computer lessons in Kigezi
Energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa speaks during the annual general meeting of UEGCL in Kampala on December 19, 2023. PHOTO/BUSEIN SAMILU
What you need to know:
- The Kabale District Education Officer, Mr Moses Bwengye, observed that two out of the 15 government schools in his district do not have electricity connection although plans are underway to have the problem fixed.
Some government education institutions in Kigezi Sub-region can’t utilise computers due to lack of power connection yet computer studies are becoming a necessity in various schools around the country.
Equally affected are the science laboratories where science students cannot conduct some tests without power.
Government is integrating ICT into its ICT in education programme and the digital agenda strategy, a move that is aimed at equipping schools with computers and access to the internet.
Unfortunately, this goal might not be realised soon in Kigezi because of poor electricity connection.
The head teacher at Lake Bunyonyi Secondary School in Kabale District, Mr Nicholas Kashumba, on Tuesday said despite having more than 50 computers at his school they remain non-operational.
“A few years back, we received 35 computers from the World Bank and 20 computers from the Uganda Communications Commission but we lacked power connection at the school,” he said.
The situation is not different at Rwamucucu Seed Secondary in Rukiga District. The head teacher, Rev Ivan Muhoozi, said as a quick solution to the challenge, they are forced to hire a generator from a private operator to enable them conduct computer lessons, which they find expensive.
The Rukiga District chairman, Mr Robert Mbabazi Kakwerere, said although government promised to extend electric power lines and piped water to all secondary schools to ensure the smooth running of the well-equipped computer and science laboratories, this has not been fulfilled leaving the school administrators to struggle while conducting computer lessons.
The Kabale District Education Officer, Mr Moses Bwengye, observed that two out of the 15 government schools in his district do not have electricity connection although plans are underway to have the problem fixed.
The Kanungu District Education Officer, Mr Adam Shaban, said three out of 22 government schools do not have electricity connections and the school administrators depend on solar systems that are insufficient to provide lighting and running computers.
The spokesman at the Ministry of Education and Sports, Dr Denis K Mugimba, on Monday said plans are under way to extend electricity power lines to some government schools.
