Government has been asked to institute strong penalties on parents who do not pack food or pay for meals to feed their children at school.
Ibanda resident district commissioner (RDC) Eliasto Tukahebwa, says there are no punitive measures on errant parents despite unending school feeding sensitisation drives in the district.
“Leaders in Ibanda are facing an uphill task to ensure that parents feed their own children. We cannot send children back home because the president told us to support UPE and USE programmes,” Tukahebwa said.
“Once these parents refuse to feed children next term [three], we shall be left with no option but to arrest them because children have a right to be fed.”
Tukahebwa made the remarks on Thursday while commissioning new structures at Nyakatookye and Muziza Central primary schools all located in Ibanda district. The facilities were constructed by the Education ministry under the Uganda Teacher and School Effectiveness Project (UTSEP) with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
The World Bank is the supervising entity for the grant. Tukahebwa said authorities in the district have agreed not to send away learners as it will have a great effect on their learning. Early this year, the Education minister also First Lady, Janet Museveni, started a nationwide school feeding and nutrition campaign in a bid to ensure quality education.
However, Tukahebwa said the impact of the campaign has not been felt in second term, thus the need to compel parents/guardians to provide meals for their children.
“In terms of school infrastructure, we are improving… one time I came to Muziza Central and there was nowhere to take shelter when it was raining but things have changed. This means the new infrastructure should have feeding learners to improve our grades,” he said insisting that government has been lenient to parents.
Meanwhile, each of the two schools received newly constructed administration blocks, toilets for teachers and learners and rain water harvesting tanks that will be utilised next term. Since completion of structures two months ago, enrolment has more than doubled in the schools.
According to Daniel Mugume the head teacher of 50-year-old Nyakatookye PS, the student population has increased from 377 in first term to 742 in second term with only 17 teachers.
“With new structures, I expect more children in dilapidated private schools to join us next term,” Mugume said.
He, however, noted the school’s performance is still challenged with poor performance, staff accommodation, and absenteeism of learners due to lack of meals at schools.
“We have children who attend twice a week. Parents are also too poor. How do you expect a parent who misses supper most of the time to pack food for a learner?” Mugume said asking government to channel some monies to school feeding inform of grants so that they cook for children at school.
Ibanda district education officer (DEO) Deo Ahimbisibwe commended government on the new facilities saying they will go a long way to improve learning outcomes.
“Our performance has not been the best nationwide but we shall intensify inception. We should expect positive change in performance in the coming national examinations,” Ahimbisibwe said.
He also agreed with Tukahebwa on reprimanding parents.
“Feeding a child is their right. Parents don’t pay fees, graduated tax and telling them to feed their children should not be hard. If they don’t want, I feel government should come up with strong penalties.”
By closure of second term, Ibanda district records indicated that there are 124 and 14 government primary and secondary schools respectively. For private, there are 48 primary and 32 secondary schools.
MORE STRUCTURES
The handover of the two schools in Ibanda concluded the first phase of the UTSEP construction project in which 54 newly-refurbished schools in six districts were completed.
According to the ministry’s permanent secretary Alex Kakooza, the second phase of commissioning 84 more schools in 27 districts will kick start in October this year.
Musa Birungi, a ministry staff from the Basic Education department, told The Observer that the ministry recently contracted a firm to make furniture for all the completed schools. All classes were expected to be furnished by last term but this was not achieved.
“By first term next year [2019] all GPE commissioned schools will receive their furniture for seven classrooms and administration blocks. There were procurement challenges but that has been resolved,” Birungi said.
