Makeshift structures, crowded classes overshadow govt gains

Despite gains the government has registered in constructing new school structures, these achievements are overshadowed by images of children in crowded classes or studying under trees in parts of Teso Sub-region. Atuitui Primary School in Kumi District was built in the early 1950s. 

Ms Florence Mary Anyango, the school head teacher, explained that due to limited space, they have partitioned classroom blocks for the 1,300 pupils. 

She added that due to limited accommodation for teachers, some classroom blocks have also been partitioned into bedrooms for teachers. 

Ms Anyango told this publication in a recent interview that the school can only accommodate five teachers.

“We have partitioned one classroom block to host four teachers and the rest accommodate themselves outside of the school,” she said.

 Ms Anyango said the school has been using monies collected for activities of the parent teachers association (PTA) to pay rent for teachers who stay outside the school. However, this is becoming a challenge because of the government’s pronouncements that parents should not pay such monies in public schools.

As a result, she said some of the old boys and girls of the school through the E- rotary club of Victoria have embarked on a Shs1.5 billion teacher’s housing project that will accommodate 10 teachers.

 Ms Sarah Adongo, the Kumi District education officer, said Atuitui Primary School and many other schools need accommodation facilities for teachers and more classroom blocks.

She said each parish must have a school according to government policy but because of the limited resource envelope fixing the gaps will take time.

Mr Nelson Elungat Lakol, the Kumi District chairperson, said that to have the gaps fixed in Kumi alone with the current funding, they need close to 127 years.

His counterpart Geoffrey Omolo of Katakwi said they have more than 14 schools that need permanent structures.

He added that schools have challenges with inadequate facilities and staff, which challenges may not be addressed due to limited funds released every financial year.

“Some schools have a deficit of close to 10 teachers, we also need staff at the newly coded schools,” he said.

Mr Thomas Ocila, the acting head teacher for Akomotukoi Primary School in Ongongoja Sub-county, one of the community-run schools recently taken over by the government, said they are patiently waiting for the government to erect permanent structures at the school.

 He said the 201 learners, from Primary One to Primary Five, at the school have been studying under trees since 2002 when the school was established.

Mr Peter Ogwang, the state minister for Sports, also the MP for Ngariam County in Katakwi District, said the government has established more than 15 seed secondary schools in the last 10 years in Teso. He said more schools are yet to be establishedDM dropcap: .

Mr Ogwang said more than Shs2.8 billion annually is allocated towards the establishment and maintenance of infrastructure in schools within the Teso Sub-region alone.

He said the government is committed to ensuring quality education in every community.