Prime
St Christine PS Kakumiro shut due to bank loans
Pupils of St Christine PS who missed the PLE math paper after reporting late to the examination centre on November 8, 2022 . PHOTO/ALEX TUMUHIMBISE
Pupils and parents of St Christine Nursery and Primary School in Mwitanzigye Sub-county, Kakumiro District, are stuck after the school failed to open for the first term due to accumulated bank loans.
The acting head teacher, Mr Brotherson Asera, said the school failed to open yesterday because the school director took bank loans during the Covid-19 period in 2020 and 2021.
He said Stanbic Bank is demanding the institution more than Shs10 million.
‘‘Some banks came and attached [notices] on the property, including the school buildings and this could not allow us to open the term. The director fled the school last year and we were here to wait for the PLE results,’’ Mr Asera said.
At the school entrance, one is welcomed by screaming words, which indicate that the school has been placed on sale by the bank.
Alternative
One of the parents, Mr Moris Magada, said he decided to take his children to a nearby government school in Kyakuterekera Village after learning that the school was battling bank loans.
‘‘This school has been in trouble since last year. We were told that the school was not going to open and I personally decided to register my children in a government school,’’ he said.
Mr Deogratius Ndahayo, another parent, said parents lost trust in the school management.
‘‘Our children would have missed the paper if it was not for Uned to organise a special exam. The children were going to repeat the class. It seems the director has sold [the school] to the bank,’’ he said.
Background
The school became a national talk last year after 23 Primary Seven candidates arrived late at the Uneb examination centre at Mpasana Primary School in Mpasana Town Council. They were later denied the mathematics paper.
The school director had failed to deliver the candidates to the school due to transport challenges. He has since fled.
Following a public outcry, Uneb organised a special mathematics paper for the pupils, which was done on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
According to the 2022 PLE results, six of the 23 candidates failed.
