Come clean on secondary schools promise, govt told

In 2007, shortly after Uganda introduced the Universal Secondary Education (USE) programme, President Museveni promised that the government would establish at least one secondary school in every sub-county.

However, a mini-survey by the Daily Monitor found that 85 of the 421 sub-counties in the western region still lack a secondary school.

Leaders in the western say the lack of secondary schools has forced many learners to trek long distances to access education, which has forced some to drop out of school.

Western region comprises four sub regions including Ankole, Kigezi, Toro and Bunyoro with 35 districts.

However, the Ministry of Education and Sports said the establishment of schools in the sub-counties is done in a phased manner but it is committed to fulfilling the plan.

The Kyenjojo LC5 chairman, Mr Richard Rubaihayo, said: “Out of the 31 lower local governments, only 12 have a secondary school and the other 19 lack any government secondary school.”

The most affected areas, according to Mr Rubaihayo, are Butunduzi, Kyakatwire and Mbale town councils, Nyabuharwa, Bugaki, Butiiti, Katooke, Kyamutuzi and Nyakwazi sub-counties, Kigoyera and Kisojo parishes, and Kanyegaramire and Mabira villages among others.

"Our district is not adequately covered by the government policy. As the local government, it is not within our mandate to construct secondary schools; we can only recommend locations and oversee the construction process. We request the government to allocate funds for constructing schools in our district,” Mr Rubaihayo said.

In Bunyangabu, the district chairman, Mr James Ategeka, said out of the 15 lower local governments in the district, five sub-counties of Buheesi, Kisomoro, Kibiito, and Kakyinga do not have a government secondary school.

He called for increased government support to improve access to education in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, the Kanungu Council speaker, Mr Frank Byaruhanga, said seven out of 27 sub-counties in the district do not have government-aided secondary schools.

He said the district council has resolved to write to the government about the matter.

“The implementation of the Universal Secondary Education in Kanungu District will not be effective unless the government funds the establishment of secondary schools in every sub-county. How do you expect the effective implementation of USE yet seven out of 27 sub-counties in the district do not have a secondary school? We appeal to the government to urgently handle the matter,” he said.

Similarly, in Rubanda District, eight of the 17 do not have a secondary school.

“By policy, the central government knows that every sub-county must have a government-aided secondary school and it should act immediately to provide these educational needs,” Mr Obed Kitabutuka, the secretary of social services in the Rubanda District Council, said.

Kabale District has 12 sub-counties but only two - Ryakarimira and Rubaya – do not have secondary schools, according to the district education officer, Mr Moses Bwengye.

“Although several other sub-counties in Kabale District have more than one government-aided secondary school, only two sub-counties have none because they were newly created and the secondary school facilities remained in the mother urban town councils,” he said.

In the neighbouring Kisoro District, the Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Swaibu Baraba, said the district has 23 sub-counties, but eight and one town council do not have a secondary school.

“There has been a gradual establishment of such schools under the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers (UgFT) and I am hopeful that all the sub-counties will benefit from it because the district administration has already notified the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education over the matter,” he said.

Seven of the 14 sub-counties in Kiruhura District do not have a secondary school, according to Mr Daniel Mukago, the LC5 chairman.

“We do not have secondary schools in the sub-counties of Nakayanja, Kinoni, Rwenshande, Kenshuunga, Sanga Town Council and Kashongi,” Mr Mukago said.

Mr Samuel Mugisha Katugunda, the Kazo District chairperson, said: “We have two sub-counties within our district without secondary schools, this has for some time affected the education system because there are some parents who cannot afford to take their children to schools outside Kazo. These children eventually drop out of school.”

His counterpart in Buhweju, Mr Deo Atuhaire, said of the 14 sub-counties in the district, only nine have a government secondary school.

“Government has not made any plans to fund the construction of schools in the four remaining sub-counties, some of which do not even have a single private school. Children end up walking long distances, they end up being demotivated and drop out of school,” he said.

Mr Aaron Turahi, the Isingiro LC5 chairperson, said the district has 20 sub-counties of which 10 do not have a secondary school.

“Some learners travel over 15 kilometres to access education. As a district, we have land to build these secondary schools, we are only waiting for funding. Our concern is that the government has failed to provide support and funding to the existing schools even if primary schools lack teachers,’’ he said. 

Mr Didas Tabaro, the Mbarara District chairperson, said the district has made several requests to the government to implement its policy of having a secondary school in each sub-county, but they have yet to receive a positive response.

“We have three sub-counties and a town council without secondary schools. The district has six sub-counties and five town councils. Some learners are dropping out of school because of walking long distances to access education,’’ he said.

Three of the 16 sub-counties in Ibanda District do not have secondary schools, according to Mr Happy Herbert Mayanja, the LC5 chairperson.

“We have written to the Ministry of Education and Sports indicating to them that those lower local governments do not have secondary schools and why it is important to have them. We remain hopeful that our request will be given attention,” he said.

In Bushenyi District, the principal inspector of schools, Mr Michael Mitigi, said they have only two sub-counties without a secondary school.

Mr Sylvester Agubanshongorera, the Rubirizi District chairperson, said the Uganda Secondary School Expansion Programme was introduced in the district to establish more secondary schools. 

While all necessary processes have been completed, they are still awaiting funding to move forward. 

Rukiga was the only district with a secondary school in all its sub-counties.

“All the sub-counties in our area have government-aided secondary schools because Bukinda Sub-county, which had no government-aided secondary school, recently benefited from the seed school government programme and it will be operationalised next year,” Mr Gideon Tumwesigire, the district principal assistant secretary, said.

Govt reacts

The commissioner in charge of secondary education, Ms Juliet Atuahirwe Muzoora, in a telephone interview with Daily Monitor on Tuesday said: “We are still committed to our plan. But it is done in a phased manner. Of course, you cannot begin all schools in all sub-counties at the same time so it is done in a phased manner based on the availability of the funds.” 

She added: “It is not a one off, the implementation is in phases that is why you saw they are schools that came on and then there these ones are coming on board.

Complied by Felix Ainebyoona, Rajab Mukombozi, Julius Byamukama, Cosline Nakahiira, Jovita Kyarisiima, Hillary Byamukama, Milton Bandiho, Alex Ashaba, Robert Muhereza, Julius Hafasha, Naume Biira & Emmanuel Arineitwe