Govt asked to turn former Ngora teachers' college into vocational institute

Former students who trained as primary teachers at the now defunct Bishop Kitching College (BKC) in Ngora District have asked government to turn it into a vocational training institute.

The college named after Bishop Kitching of the Anglican Upper Nile Diocese was phased out by the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) in 2000 on grounds that government was incapacitated to manage several teacher training colleges across the country.

The former teachers' college that had been started in 1903 is now in ruins.

Teacher Paphras Olupot, who trained at BKC in the early 1950s, said the institution was phased out upon consultation with the Anglican Church.  

According to him, they “tried to ensure that the college wouldn’t be closed but lost the battle since the church leadership yielded to government’s decision.”

Stakeholders say Ngora Demonstration Primary School is the only surviving entity associated with BKC, emphasizing that the school was purposely built by Bishop Kitching as a practicing school for BKC products.

“Our request to the government is to at least have the former college transitioned to a vocational institute because we don’t have any vocational institute in Ngora,” Olupot appealed.

Charles Okello, a retired teacher who trained at BKC in the early 1960s, said that the move by the Anglican Church to have the premises annexed to Ngora High School may not ensure its posterity.

“…but instead, if the structures can be salvaged and turned into a vocational institute, it would be good for both Ngora and Teso sub region,” he told Monitor on Thursday.  

“Having it turned into a vocational institute means it will also serve the interest of government in having job creators,” Okello added.

Church of Uganda’s Kumi Diocese recently proposed to annex the former teachers' college to Ngora High School, which is one of the vibrant church aided schools in Teso sub region.