Ministry has nothing to probe about our prom - school

Several schools around the country are engaged in lavish promenade (prom) parties, the head teacher of Elite High School, a learning institution that is in the spotlight after their students flew a chopper to attend a party, has said.

Mr Lawrence Onyango, in an interview with this publication yesterday, said if the line ministry is to probe the school he heads, then they have to widen the scope and many of them would be found culpable.

“There is nothing for the ministry to probe. It was just a normal party sponsored by the parents for the candidates to enjoy. If they are to do so, they will probe all the schools in the country that have had proms because they are quite many,” he explained.

Cost
At the weekend, various social media platforms were awash with short videos of male and female students of Elite High School pompously arriving to attend the party.
In the video, a helicopter is seen hovering over the school premises under  drizzle, later finding its base at one of the fields in the school.

A few minutes later, the door to the chopper is opened, and from it, emerges a male teenager clad in a blue suit, as he takes a couple of pictures while his date-mate; who is also clad in a long black single arm dress, follows.
Some students also arrived in high-end vehicles. 

Cars belong to parents
But Mr Onyango said the cars belonged to the parents who had gone to attend the party with their children.
The director for Basic and Secondary Education in the Education Ministry, Mr Ismail Mulindwa, vowed to have a probe and action taken.

Equally, the State Minister for Higher Education, Mr John Chrysostom Muyingo, expressed disbelief that students would lead such a showy lifestyle in a country where millions of households are struggling to have three meals a day.

Mr Onyango noted that whereas the rest of the students at the school broke off for the first term holidays, the candidate classes stayed at school so that they go back after attending the party.
He also revealed that the majority of the candidates did not have cars and were not affected in any way since being driven in posh cars was not compulsory.

Not immoral
On the issue of pairing up, Mr Onyango rejected the reasoning that it promotes immoral behaviour. 
“This has been practiced during school parties for decades. It is just a normal thing. So, the pairing is not an issue, but it’s just for the party. It is just social media which is making it seem like a big deal,” he said. 

Mr Onyango said Elite High School operates under the guidelines of the Education ministry with its fees structure going for about Shs2m.