Prime
Authorities close Kayunga school where pupils sleep on floor
A policeman and education officials are seen at Buyobe Church of Uganda Primary School before it was closed on June 25, 2024 over operating illegally. PHOTO/FRED MUZAALE
What you need to know:
- Some pupils, mostly primary seven candidates were visibly seen in tears following the directive.
A section of teachers and pupils were on June 25 stunned after Kayunga District authorities closed their school which faces dire learner accommodation challenges.
Buyobe Church of Uganda Primary School was abruptly closed following discoveries that the learners were sleeping on improvised beds on the floor.
Closure of the 15-year-old private school, which has an enrolment of about 280 learners, was ordered by senior inspector of schools Godfrey Cherop and officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports.
The team is currently on a week-long inspection exercise of boarding facilities in the district to ascertain compliance with minimum education standards.
At Buyobe Church of Uganda Primary School, Cherop, who was in company of district inspector of schools Ramadhan Simali and senior education officer Ronald Mukiibi, was shocked when they found all pupils sleeping on beds laid on the floor.
“Besides, this illegality, the school was found operating without a license and operating an illegal boarding section,” officials noted.
Cherop and Simali told the school administration that the facility had been closed.
“On this 25th day of June, this school has been found operating an illegal boarding facility and has been closed forthwith. Failure to abide by the directive will attract severe penalty,” Cherop warned.
The team directed the headteacher, Fred Kisitu, to call pupils for an assembly at which they were sent home.
Some pupils, mostly primary seven candidates were visibly seen in tears following the directive.
Kisitu, who claimed the boarding facility was temporally as he asked for time to fix it, also shed tears.
“Go back home and tomorrow don’t come to school. This school will re-open when it gets an operating license and and an improved boarding facility with beds,” Cherop told learners.
Earlier, there was drama at the school as the team of inspectors was denied access to the locked dormitories with the school administration claiming that they had misplaced the keys.
An axe was used to break into the dormitories after education officials waited for the keys without yield.
On Monday, Cherop said at least 50 primary and secondary schools in the District had been given a five-day ultimatum to put in place minimum education requirements or risk closure.
On Tuesday, the team also inspected Kanjuki Junior School, Ndeeba SS, Kanjuki Umea primary school, Greenvine College, Hopeful Future Primary School and Orion Junior school, among others.
Most of the schools were found operating illegal boarding facilities and with poor sanitation amid congestion in dormitories.
