Proprietors struggling to run schools with fewer students

So far, semi-candidate and candidate classes have resumed studies with some finalists already sitting their Uganda National Examination Board (Uneb) exams.

Many school administrators interviewed by the Daily Monitor say the cost of running the institutions is very high even with fewer learners.

Mr George Bamuleseyo, the head teacher of Kennedy Secondary School, Kawuku in Wakiso District, said they are spending a lot of money to maintain the few classes since they require the same administrative costs like when all learners are in school.

“Take the example of electricity bills, we cannot say because we have a few students, some corners of the school campus will remain without lights. We have to light the whole school and this eats into the limited resources,” he said.

Mr Michael Tabewo, the head teacher of Patrick Day and Boarding Primary School in Buikwe District, said for  the several months the schools were closed, they prepared to receive all learners only to be told that a few will report at a time.
“It becomes expensive when you buy food and other necessities, knowing all learners are returning and instead only a few return,” he said.

Of the 18 teachers at the school, Mr Tabewo said they have only retained seven, who teach both Primary Six and Primary Seven.

“Much as the school is operating in loses, it must remain operational. The other teachers we cannot pay now have been asked to stay at home but a good number of them have moved on to do other businesses,” he said.

Mr Sammy Nsereko, the head teacher of Mityana Secondary School, said: “We would not have had any problem if government had supported us financially as promised earlier, but we are here struggling to stay afloat.” 

In eastern Uganda, the situation is pretty much the same.
Mr Luke Emurion, the head teacher of St Peter’s College in Tororo, said the staggered approach of reopening schools is making it more difficult for them to plan.

He said initially, they would plan according to the indicative planning figures provided by the Ministry of Education, but now it is difficult.

“As school administrators, we are finding it hard to even feed these learners because schools have been crippled financially to the extent that we have failed to meet the required standards,” Mr Emurion said.

Mr Benedette Olokojo, the head teacher of Rock View School in Tororo Municipality, said the money they are receiving from the learners’ fees is too little to even pay utility bills.

“Even the students who have reported cannot pay full amount,” Mr Olokojo said.

Mr Isaac Ariko, the director of St Regina Secondary School, Akadot in Pallisa District, said: “Many school directors are battling with bank loans, some of which were secured even before the coronavirus pandemic hit.”

He said some teachers are currently being hired on a part time basis due to limited resources. 

 Mr Charles Otwao, the director of Kakusi Community Primary School, appealed to President Museveni to engage bank managers as he had promised earlier, so that they can extend the period for recovering the loans advanced to schools.

“Our President made a pledge and we pray that he talks to those people [banks] before they auction our property,” he said.

After easing the lockdown last year, President Museveni directed the Uganda Development Bank (UDB) to take over the loans of some struggling private schools.

 The President also offered Shs2b towards the private savings and credit cooperative society (Sacco) of about 350,000 teachers in private schools.

Mr Muzamil Musembya, the director of Buwenge Blue Day and Boarding Primary School in Jinja District, said some pupils and students have developed a negative attitude towards returning to schools.

“They say they have grown big and do not deem it fit to be in the same class they now perceive as being lower,” he said.  
He further notes that the costs of maintaining teachers has also increased because previously, one teacher taught more than one class and took the same lunch and breakfast.

Mr Moses Kisubi, the director of St Joseph Secondary School, Nakanyonyi in Jinja City, said students’ reporting in phases has decreased revenue generation yet they have to maintain the staff levels.

“Operational costs have become very high given the fact that we have candidates sitting for final exams,’’ he said.
Mr Kisubi urged the government to allow schools to operate in a normal or traditional way so that they can sustain their operations.

“Candidate classes are leaving soon and we have sufficient rooms to accommodate the remaining classes,” he said. 
Mr Charles Otto, the director of Gulu Central High School, said planning has become difficult now that learners are reporting in phases.

“As we are planning for this class another class is due. So, this interferes with our finances. Had we known, we would have increased the fees so as to bridge the current cash flow gaps,” he said.

Mr Henry Mangeni, the head teacher of Fortune Secondary School in Namayingo District, said he had to reduce the teachers’ salary to half because at the moment the fees collected cannot run all the school activities.

 “Some of the teachers have been laid off. We had 23 teachers, but we currently have only 13, who have to handle more than one class,” he said.

In south western Uganda, the director of Kabale Universal Primary and Nursery School in Kabale Town, Mr Drake Kisheija, said schools that operate in rented buildings are facing a much harder time as the landlords refuse to reduce the rental  fees.

“We are operating in a very difficult situation especially after incurring heavy losses that resulted from the closure of schools for almost one year.  We opted to keep operating for purposes of serving our community and retaining the name of our school, but it is difficult,” Mr Kisheija said.

The director of Kabale Brain Storm High School in Kabale Town, Mr Erasmus Habasa said he has incurred heavy losses because of fixed costs that must be paid regardless of the high or low student turn up.

“The fixed costs have remained a big challenge to the school administrators because they must be paid whether there are few or many students in the school at any particular time,” he says
The director of Kisoro Vision Secondary School (Private) in Kisoro District, Mr Dan Munyambabazi says he has acquired another loan from the bank to pay salaries for the teachers given the fact that fees paid by the students went on settling  the fixed costs such as utilities and non-teaching staff.

“Some parents have been approaching us demanding for the reduction of school fees or else they withdraw their children and yet we are operating in a serious financial crisis,” Mr Munyambabazi said.

While speaking to Daily Monitor yesterday in regards to the struggling head teachers, Mr Patrick Muinda, the spokesperson of Ministry of Education, said private schools teachers will be given   reimbursement as earlier promised by government.

“There is no specific date when the money will be released, however, representatives of private teachers association had a meeting last week on how that money will be managed and reach the beneficiaries,” he said.

She added: “They have formed regional committees of private teachers who will oversee the reimbursement of the money .”

Phased reopening
In December 2020, while speculation on whether schools will be reopened in a phased manner was going on,    the director of basic education in the Ministry of Education, Mr Ismail Mulindwa, said: “We cannot wake up and say we are going to add other classes without knowing what is happening.

 The Directorate of Education Standards is preparing to assess capacity on other classes with two metre distance. Whatever decision we take, we must be within the confines of the Covid-19 standard operating procedures,”

Mr Alex Kakooza, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, also said they will only confirm how many classes to include  on after an assessment.

Hopeful
Summary of school reopening
•Primary Six, Senior Three and Senior Five reported on March 1  and will study for 14 weeks, breaking off on May 21.
•Primary Four and Five classes will study for eight weeks, starting on April 6 and end on June 4.
•Primary 1, 2, and 3 to report on June 7 and study for eight weeks, which will end on July 24
•Senior One students are expected at school on April 12 to study for 14 weeks, which will end on July 3.
•Senior Two will report on May 31 and study for 10 weeks, which will be concluded on July 24.

Compiled by Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa,  Mudangha Kolyangha,Julius Okanya, Joseph Omollo, Olivier Mukaaya, 
Suzan Nanjala, Philip Wafula, 
Tausi Nakato, Denis Edema, 
Robert Muhereza, 
Leonard Mbishinzimana, Naume Biira, Wilson Kutamba, & Abubaker Kirunda

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