Parents in trouble for not packing school lunch

The Ministry of Education and Sports has said it will soon start prosecuting parents who do not provide their children with meals at school.

Mr John Chrysostom Muyingo, the state minister for Higher Education, warned that such parents are violating the government’s policy on free education. “Students, government policy is that you must go to school every day until you finish your education cycle. If your parents refuse to give you food, very soon we shall take them to courts of law,” he said.

Mr Muyingo explained that educating a child involves several stakeholders and the government has done its part of providing free education, paying teachers’ salaries, paying for national examinations, providing computer laboratories and stocking libraries.

He also dismissed claims by some parents that they cannot afford to feed their children in school, arguing that Uganda is a food basket where each parent can find food that they can afford.

The minister made the remarks on Friday while commissioning a newly constructed classroom block at Namulonge Church of Uganda Secondary School, which was constructed by Grant Thornton, an audit firm.

Mr Muyingo hailed the firm for the new structure, saying the private sector also has the duty to ensure that they improve the quality of life of people in the communities where they work.

Mr Anil Patel, the executive chairman of Grant Thornton, said they have set aside part of the profits to support community projects.

Pledge

He said the classroom block, which was built at Shs600m, is the first phase of the project, which aims at turning Namulonge Church of Uganda Secondary School into a model learning institution.

Mr Patel said they will construct more classrooms, a kitchen, staff houses and a multipurpose hall to improve the learning environment in the school. He added that with this initiative, they hope they can inspire other corporate institutions to support more primary, secondary or even tertiary institutions.

“If one other corporation can spend time in one school, we want to set an example so that we take combined responsibility with the government; If we leave everything to the government, it is not right,” he added.