Private sector donates Shs1b for education recovery

Primary Six pupils of Spire Road Primary School in Jinja City attend lessons on March 1. Government  has proposed a number of strategies to be adopted by all schools to prepare and ensure safe reopening.  PHOTO/FILE

What you need to know:

  • On November 25, the Education ministry organised a symposium with the aim of bringing together key stakeholders from the private sector to support its recovery programmes.

The Ministry of Education and Sports has received more than Shs1b financial support from the private sector to facilitate the recovery of the sector.
On November 25, the Education ministry organised a symposium with the aim of bringing together key stakeholders from the private sector to support its recovery programmes.

Speaking at their headquarters on Wednesday during the handing over of the donations, Dr Jane Egau, the director of Higher Education, said many private sector companies donated items such as books, bottled water, and iron sheets while others committed to giving technical support. 
“We have had a very positive response towards the call made by the Minister of Education Janet Museveni,” she said.

Equity Bank is processing scholarships for senior ones, Irish Aid through the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has procured tents and other support items for schools in the Karamoja Sub-region, and the banks are supporting schools with loans and interest waivers.
Ms Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the State minister for Primary Education, said the ministry would utilise the resources across the country.
 “We will develop a comprehensive plan for utilisation of these resources, focusing on the most critical areas. We are putting strategies for sustainable reopening to ensure schools remain open for our children. The education sector is, therefore, putting a surveillance system that will ensure observance of the SOPs and also help report any cases of the virus in the schools in order to contain the disease,” she said. 

Schools have been in an urgent need of rehabilitation. To ensure that they are prepared for reopening, the government released funding for minor renovations. 
A capitation grant of more than Shs130 billion was given to government schools to revamp the sector.  
Each school has also received Shs1.5m to implement SOPs. 


Donations
 Nice House of plastics donated 10,000 buckets and 7,000 basins worth Shs91m, Haris International contributed Shs500m, Kakira Sugar contributed Shs200m, 

Umeme contributed Shs100m, Sugar Cooperation of Uganda Shs150m and $25,000 (about Shs88m) for girl-child education, Tororo Cement contributed Shs5m, Bank of Baroda Shs125m.